 |
 |
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time...
My sweet blog has once again decided to space itself, so I do apologize. It's wonky and making me crazy, but I'm giving in. Hope you can read it anyway.
First of all, I have to say that this picture is totally cracking me up. I had literally been running around in the rain all day, and I didn't realize I looked as tired as I felt. http://whatiwore2day.blogspot.com/ has spoiled me from posing in any normal way. So that pretty much explains the picture. Kind of...
So anyway, the weekend after my birthday is usually the first garage sale weekend kick off. And boy was it. The boys stayed with Allen, to play video games until their brains leaked out of their ears, and Laney and I took off for some sweet girl time.
I just love garage sales. That's pretty well known, and obvious to boot. But here's the reasons why.
I've been dreaming of these books by Warren Weirsbe for a long time. Oak Mountain Presbyterian had a church wide garage sale to benefit adoption, and we hit that first. I got the whole set of books, and they were 25 cents each. I was so happy! They are books for each book of the Bible. I grabbed up the book on Ruth/Esther to read first, since we are already studying Esther, and it is so good! I was such a happy camper.
Laney and I found more great treasures at that sale, and we were just tickled! Laney's favorite was a Hello Kitty digital clock for her room. I love coming downstairs in the morning, and saying, "Hey sweetie, when did you get up?" and her saying, "At 7:24." Hilarious!
So we found a neighborhood garage sale on 119, and those are my absolute favorite. You can park your car and just walk from sale to sale. This one house is going down in garage sale history.
So as I walked up to the garage sale, I heard the lady say, "Well, that's $3, but I'll take less. Just make an offer. I'm willing to negotiate..." which was good to hear. I'm not good at wheeling and dealing at garage sales, really. I figure it's already cheap already, so if I don't want to pay what they have on it, I need to just move along. But, occasionally, especially if I'm buying a whole bunch of stuff, I'll ask someone, so politely and timidly, if they'd take less for something, half expecting them to say "no." But, since she threw it out there, I figured, "Why not?"
So there was this dress. Not a dress that I would normally be in the market for, but cool and interesting enough to get my attention. I have a 20 year high school reunion coming up next summer (excuse me while I fall into a dead faint) and I thought, "Ohhhh, this might be cool..." It was $5, which was more than I'd pay for a dress that I might wear one day. I guess this is a good time to tell you that it's a size (FINE, several sizes) smaller than I wear now. But, since I so desperately want to lose weight, I thought, "Why not get this super cool dress to wear, and have it like something to work towards?" Not that I have a closet full of clothes that I am "working towards" but I feel myself drifting from the whole point of this now too long story.
SO, I go up to the nice lady, and say, "Would you mind taking $3 for this?" since, mind you, she had JUST said she was taking less for everything. (This was late in the morning-close to the time that prices do start to be sliced. The thought of the items marching off to the Hannah Home tend to make people take whatever you're willing to give them for what they don't to donate for free...) I totally expected her to say, "Sure" and us be done.
But, she wrinkled up her nose, looked at the dress and heaved a *huge* sigh. I was slightly surprised, but decided to see where this was going. She said, "You know, this dress is from Cache." Yep, lady, I saw that. I can read. I guess she's mourning the fact that she and her daughter, I guess, went to the Galleria and into the kinda swanky store Cache and bought this sorta fancy dress. "It was EIGHTY DOLLARS, you know..." she went on. At this point, an old phrase that my dad used to say went flying through my head. It's not nice, lemme tell you, and there are some things from my childhood that I squelch down and some come bubbling when I least expect it.
So she says, "It was EIGHTY DOLLARS" and I thought, "Well, that sounds like a personal problem to me." Thanks, Dad. That phrase comes in handy SO OFTEN. Anyway, I pulled together a sympathetic look and waited for her to go on.
And here is the kicker.
She looks at me head to toe, wrinkles up that nose and SAYS, "Will it even fit you?"
Let's pause while you take that in.
I pulled myself up to all 5 feet and 4 and 1/4 inches of myself and said, "Well, not yet. But it will." And I looked her square in the eye. It wasn't about the $3 anymore. I was m.a.d.
She huffily took my $3, and I took that dang dress. I was close to the van before it was funny. I was home before it was really funny. I told Allen my story, and his eyes got big. He's normally a very, "Eh, what's the big deal?" kinda guy, but he was like, "Wow!" Then, I squirmed my way into that too-small dress and we laughed so hard I was crying. He said, "I can just see you going to your reunion just like that..." and we laughed even harder. Oh me. I don't know if I'll be in this dress by then, but I have two super skinny sisters that might want a really cool, super expensive dress from Cache. Oh me.
And it ain't over yet. I go down to the next house (yes, I was undeterred, the garage sale warrior that I am) and it was these very nice Asian ladies who had the garage sale. Well, they had great stuff, and I could immediately tell I had hit the jack pot. I quickly scooped up things for Laney, and then headed to the adult section. I bought tons of stuff for me, which made me so very happy. Most all of it was $1 each. So the outfit in the first picture, including that purse I love so much, was $3. Well, the shoes were new, from Target. They were $30, I think, so my outfit was $33. The sweater was the super soft, black fuzzy material. When I went to wash it, I died laughing, because the tag was in Chinese. Yep. Evidently that nice Asian lady brought all her clothes to America from China, or ordered them from China while she was here, and all the tags are written in Chinese. Oh well. Most of the stuff didn't fit, which is okay too. I put them in the Cache dress pile. Hopefully I'll be in them soon.
So, it was a great first day of garage sale season, and I was such a happy camper. Until...
I was watching the Today Show, and this frugal guy was on there, who touts himself as America's cheapest man. Fine for him. I'm pretty cheap too. But he said something that made me think. He said that Americans are obsessed with getting stuff for cheap, when what we should be obsessed with is NOT getting stuff at all.
Thanks, dude, for taking the wind out of my sails. So I had fun, got some new threads, but he reminded me that cheap stuff isn't necessary stuff. It's still stuff that I'm going to have to get rid of someday. So I'm still garage saleing with my list firmly in mind. Things that I NEED. Really. Truely. Not just more junk to junk up my life.
And hopefully I'll post a picture next summer of me, in my $80 Cache dress, at my reunion. And I'll never forget that darn dress. :)
First of all, I have to say that this picture is totally cracking me up. I had literally been running around in the rain all day, and I didn't realize I looked as tired as I felt. http://whatiwore2day.blogspot.com/ has spoiled me from posing in any normal way. So that pretty much explains the picture. Kind of...
So anyway, the weekend after my birthday is usually the first garage sale weekend kick off. And boy was it. The boys stayed with Allen, to play video games until their brains leaked out of their ears, and Laney and I took off for some sweet girl time.
I just love garage sales. That's pretty well known, and obvious to boot. But here's the reasons why.
I've been dreaming of these books by Warren Weirsbe for a long time. Oak Mountain Presbyterian had a church wide garage sale to benefit adoption, and we hit that first. I got the whole set of books, and they were 25 cents each. I was so happy! They are books for each book of the Bible. I grabbed up the book on Ruth/Esther to read first, since we are already studying Esther, and it is so good! I was such a happy camper.
Laney and I found more great treasures at that sale, and we were just tickled! Laney's favorite was a Hello Kitty digital clock for her room. I love coming downstairs in the morning, and saying, "Hey sweetie, when did you get up?" and her saying, "At 7:24." Hilarious!
So we found a neighborhood garage sale on 119, and those are my absolute favorite. You can park your car and just walk from sale to sale. This one house is going down in garage sale history.
So as I walked up to the garage sale, I heard the lady say, "Well, that's $3, but I'll take less. Just make an offer. I'm willing to negotiate..." which was good to hear. I'm not good at wheeling and dealing at garage sales, really. I figure it's already cheap already, so if I don't want to pay what they have on it, I need to just move along. But, occasionally, especially if I'm buying a whole bunch of stuff, I'll ask someone, so politely and timidly, if they'd take less for something, half expecting them to say "no." But, since she threw it out there, I figured, "Why not?"
So there was this dress. Not a dress that I would normally be in the market for, but cool and interesting enough to get my attention. I have a 20 year high school reunion coming up next summer (excuse me while I fall into a dead faint) and I thought, "Ohhhh, this might be cool..." It was $5, which was more than I'd pay for a dress that I might wear one day. I guess this is a good time to tell you that it's a size (FINE, several sizes) smaller than I wear now. But, since I so desperately want to lose weight, I thought, "Why not get this super cool dress to wear, and have it like something to work towards?" Not that I have a closet full of clothes that I am "working towards" but I feel myself drifting from the whole point of this now too long story.
SO, I go up to the nice lady, and say, "Would you mind taking $3 for this?" since, mind you, she had JUST said she was taking less for everything. (This was late in the morning-close to the time that prices do start to be sliced. The thought of the items marching off to the Hannah Home tend to make people take whatever you're willing to give them for what they don't to donate for free...) I totally expected her to say, "Sure" and us be done.
But, she wrinkled up her nose, looked at the dress and heaved a *huge* sigh. I was slightly surprised, but decided to see where this was going. She said, "You know, this dress is from Cache." Yep, lady, I saw that. I can read. I guess she's mourning the fact that she and her daughter, I guess, went to the Galleria and into the kinda swanky store Cache and bought this sorta fancy dress. "It was EIGHTY DOLLARS, you know..." she went on. At this point, an old phrase that my dad used to say went flying through my head. It's not nice, lemme tell you, and there are some things from my childhood that I squelch down and some come bubbling when I least expect it.
So she says, "It was EIGHTY DOLLARS" and I thought, "Well, that sounds like a personal problem to me." Thanks, Dad. That phrase comes in handy SO OFTEN. Anyway, I pulled together a sympathetic look and waited for her to go on.
And here is the kicker.
She looks at me head to toe, wrinkles up that nose and SAYS, "Will it even fit you?"
Let's pause while you take that in.
I pulled myself up to all 5 feet and 4 and 1/4 inches of myself and said, "Well, not yet. But it will." And I looked her square in the eye. It wasn't about the $3 anymore. I was m.a.d.
She huffily took my $3, and I took that dang dress. I was close to the van before it was funny. I was home before it was really funny. I told Allen my story, and his eyes got big. He's normally a very, "Eh, what's the big deal?" kinda guy, but he was like, "Wow!" Then, I squirmed my way into that too-small dress and we laughed so hard I was crying. He said, "I can just see you going to your reunion just like that..." and we laughed even harder. Oh me. I don't know if I'll be in this dress by then, but I have two super skinny sisters that might want a really cool, super expensive dress from Cache. Oh me.
And it ain't over yet. I go down to the next house (yes, I was undeterred, the garage sale warrior that I am) and it was these very nice Asian ladies who had the garage sale. Well, they had great stuff, and I could immediately tell I had hit the jack pot. I quickly scooped up things for Laney, and then headed to the adult section. I bought tons of stuff for me, which made me so very happy. Most all of it was $1 each. So the outfit in the first picture, including that purse I love so much, was $3. Well, the shoes were new, from Target. They were $30, I think, so my outfit was $33. The sweater was the super soft, black fuzzy material. When I went to wash it, I died laughing, because the tag was in Chinese. Yep. Evidently that nice Asian lady brought all her clothes to America from China, or ordered them from China while she was here, and all the tags are written in Chinese. Oh well. Most of the stuff didn't fit, which is okay too. I put them in the Cache dress pile. Hopefully I'll be in them soon.
So, it was a great first day of garage sale season, and I was such a happy camper. Until...
I was watching the Today Show, and this frugal guy was on there, who touts himself as America's cheapest man. Fine for him. I'm pretty cheap too. But he said something that made me think. He said that Americans are obsessed with getting stuff for cheap, when what we should be obsessed with is NOT getting stuff at all.
Thanks, dude, for taking the wind out of my sails. So I had fun, got some new threads, but he reminded me that cheap stuff isn't necessary stuff. It's still stuff that I'm going to have to get rid of someday. So I'm still garage saleing with my list firmly in mind. Things that I NEED. Really. Truely. Not just more junk to junk up my life.
And hopefully I'll post a picture next summer of me, in my $80 Cache dress, at my reunion. And I'll never forget that darn dress. :)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Birthweek?
I called my dear friend Sandi Monday morning, and she said, "Well, are you ready for the birthday week?"
"Who else's birthday is it this week?" I asked.
She laughed. "You get to celebrate *you* all week..." she informed me.
Oh okay. Well, I kinda like that!
Monday started off with my dear friends, and we celebrated Michelle. It was her last day in town, and it was a bittersweet day. It was so hard to see that van drive down the street one last time. *sigh* I know she'll be great, but I'm already missing her and that amazing laugh.
After we left her, we were too sad to go home, so we met up with Allen. Zane decided he wanted a haircut, so we did it. I'm so glad we did. He looks just adorable. Those eyes! We ate at Moe's after the hair cut. I love Moe's.
I spent Tuesday on the couch. I mean, all day. I got up to make sure everyone had food to eat, but that was it. I don't usually even sit down during the day, but I just felt like I needed to just chill my bones. It felt good. I could have stayed there all week, I think.
Wednesday was the big day. 37. I felt weird this year, for some reason. It was hard to hear that number. I got this panicky feeling that my life was slipping away a little too quickly. I dread the thought of standing before God right now and only having thus far to give to him. Oh me.
Jennifer asked me what I wanted to do Wednesday, and I told her. Right down to what I wanted to eat, where and how. Not much like me, really. She and the girls cancelled plans, worked hard and then gave their whole day to spend with me. It was perfect, and I felt so very blessed and cherished. I am so lucky to have these amazing women in my life to do life with. The good and the bad. Man, I'm so blessed. We had a blast! I even got to go to the thrift store. It's a birthday tradition. Allen got home at a reasonable hour and brought me a gift certificate for the Amen Corner and this beautiful little statue of a couple with a sweet verse on it. He did great on my presents this year with absolutely no help from me or Jenn! :)
Thursday we puttered around, and Allen gave me this amazing gift from another Michelle friend! I love the scarf and the earrings have spurned another blog post soon to come. Birthday week rolled on smashingly well!
Friday. Chick-fil-A and Target. Need I say more?
Saturday Laney and I got to go garage saleing for the first time this season. That blog post soon to come also. We got the boys and went to two of my other favorite places-Zoe's and Edgar's. Then we went to Heardmont Park, where they were having a celebration of sorts, with tons of jumpy and slidey things. The kids had a blast. We came home and sat in the floor and played games. Allen is playing tonight, and I'm sitting a quiet house, listening to soothing music and looking forward to working on Esther.
It was an amazing week. I feel so loved! 37 is going to be a great year! Mostly thanks to you...
"Who else's birthday is it this week?" I asked.
She laughed. "You get to celebrate *you* all week..." she informed me.
Oh okay. Well, I kinda like that!
Monday started off with my dear friends, and we celebrated Michelle. It was her last day in town, and it was a bittersweet day. It was so hard to see that van drive down the street one last time. *sigh* I know she'll be great, but I'm already missing her and that amazing laugh.
After we left her, we were too sad to go home, so we met up with Allen. Zane decided he wanted a haircut, so we did it. I'm so glad we did. He looks just adorable. Those eyes! We ate at Moe's after the hair cut. I love Moe's.
I spent Tuesday on the couch. I mean, all day. I got up to make sure everyone had food to eat, but that was it. I don't usually even sit down during the day, but I just felt like I needed to just chill my bones. It felt good. I could have stayed there all week, I think.
Wednesday was the big day. 37. I felt weird this year, for some reason. It was hard to hear that number. I got this panicky feeling that my life was slipping away a little too quickly. I dread the thought of standing before God right now and only having thus far to give to him. Oh me.
Jennifer asked me what I wanted to do Wednesday, and I told her. Right down to what I wanted to eat, where and how. Not much like me, really. She and the girls cancelled plans, worked hard and then gave their whole day to spend with me. It was perfect, and I felt so very blessed and cherished. I am so lucky to have these amazing women in my life to do life with. The good and the bad. Man, I'm so blessed. We had a blast! I even got to go to the thrift store. It's a birthday tradition. Allen got home at a reasonable hour and brought me a gift certificate for the Amen Corner and this beautiful little statue of a couple with a sweet verse on it. He did great on my presents this year with absolutely no help from me or Jenn! :)
Thursday we puttered around, and Allen gave me this amazing gift from another Michelle friend! I love the scarf and the earrings have spurned another blog post soon to come. Birthday week rolled on smashingly well!
Friday. Chick-fil-A and Target. Need I say more?
Saturday Laney and I got to go garage saleing for the first time this season. That blog post soon to come also. We got the boys and went to two of my other favorite places-Zoe's and Edgar's. Then we went to Heardmont Park, where they were having a celebration of sorts, with tons of jumpy and slidey things. The kids had a blast. We came home and sat in the floor and played games. Allen is playing tonight, and I'm sitting a quiet house, listening to soothing music and looking forward to working on Esther.
It was an amazing week. I feel so loved! 37 is going to be a great year! Mostly thanks to you...
 |
|
| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Monday, March 30, 2009
BIg boy haircut
Zane said he wanted a haircut today, so we got it. He did great, and he looks so grown up now. And dare I say, cuter!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Faceless Book. I mean Facebookless
So God asked me to take a break this week from Facebook. I honestly said, "Sure." I had tons to do this week, and thought, "Well, that will make it easier for me to get things done."
I'm not super addicted to FB. I actually just use it when I "plop." I don't sit down most days, except when we're doing school. I literally run around the house all day. So I "plop" in my chair and see what my friends are up to. No biggie. I think I just plop more than I realize I do. And I also plop when I know I can Facebook and avoid some huge chore I don't want to do. And yes, I've even Facebooked during some tedious school moments. *gasp* Horrors. So it can get in the way of real life. At least in my case.
I've treasured the people that FB has brought back into my life, I'm learning leaps and bounds, and it's even increasing my spirituality. No, I hate that word. It definitely increases my prayer life, as I lift up my friends and their needs. I'm also challenged by what my friends are researching, reading and doing. I love to know what they are thinking, pondering and wrestling with. I love the mundane stuff too. I just have some really amazing friends with great brains!
But, God said take a break. And oddly enough, I don't miss it! Ack!!!! I really, really don't. I have only been tempted once to go there this week, and that was because I didn't want to get off my butt and go do what I needed to do! I have been so much more in the real moment now. I've plopped with the kids instead of the computer. Novel idea, I know. But when you're with these creatures 24/7, you need to plop away now and then. Balance....
So it is a relief to know that I can live without Facebook! But now I am honestly trying to figure out how to work it back into my life. I do miss my friends. I miss praying for them, and I miss laughing with them. I'm so blessed by the people I have reconnected with ( I think I hate that word too) and I don't want them to be out of my life again. I just need to figure out how to work that, you know, balance.
And since my friends keep moving away from me ;) I need Facebook to keep me close to my not-so-near and dear. I have lots of those!
And just because I love love love my kid, I have to share this picture...
When you have that, why do you need Facebook? I love that his shirt says, "I'm definitely up to something"! So true, so true...
I'm not super addicted to FB. I actually just use it when I "plop." I don't sit down most days, except when we're doing school. I literally run around the house all day. So I "plop" in my chair and see what my friends are up to. No biggie. I think I just plop more than I realize I do. And I also plop when I know I can Facebook and avoid some huge chore I don't want to do. And yes, I've even Facebooked during some tedious school moments. *gasp* Horrors. So it can get in the way of real life. At least in my case.
I've treasured the people that FB has brought back into my life, I'm learning leaps and bounds, and it's even increasing my spirituality. No, I hate that word. It definitely increases my prayer life, as I lift up my friends and their needs. I'm also challenged by what my friends are researching, reading and doing. I love to know what they are thinking, pondering and wrestling with. I love the mundane stuff too. I just have some really amazing friends with great brains!
But, God said take a break. And oddly enough, I don't miss it! Ack!!!! I really, really don't. I have only been tempted once to go there this week, and that was because I didn't want to get off my butt and go do what I needed to do! I have been so much more in the real moment now. I've plopped with the kids instead of the computer. Novel idea, I know. But when you're with these creatures 24/7, you need to plop away now and then. Balance....
So it is a relief to know that I can live without Facebook! But now I am honestly trying to figure out how to work it back into my life. I do miss my friends. I miss praying for them, and I miss laughing with them. I'm so blessed by the people I have reconnected with ( I think I hate that word too) and I don't want them to be out of my life again. I just need to figure out how to work that, you know, balance.
And since my friends keep moving away from me ;) I need Facebook to keep me close to my not-so-near and dear. I have lots of those!
And just because I love love love my kid, I have to share this picture...
When you have that, why do you need Facebook? I love that his shirt says, "I'm definitely up to something"! So true, so true...
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ugh
So I'm forcing myself to put down more of this nonsense I called "writing" back in the day. It hurts mostly because I was so far from God-so far from where He wanted me to be. This "work" reminds me of how I was putting all the longing in my life toward tangible things. It was all being channeled into a conduit that couldn't handle the strain. Which lead to more longing and unfulfillment. Make sense?
I'm desperate to teach my kids that what is God's belongs to God alone. No one or no thing can fill the desires and longings we have but Him and Him alone. He created the space in us so He could fill it. I try still to fill it occasionally with food, or shopping or Allen or whatever. I feel myself start to teeter on the edge and then I know I'd better get my butt back to Jesus.
So anyway...
Flowing Spirit
I'm desperate to teach my kids that what is God's belongs to God alone. No one or no thing can fill the desires and longings we have but Him and Him alone. He created the space in us so He could fill it. I try still to fill it occasionally with food, or shopping or Allen or whatever. I feel myself start to teeter on the edge and then I know I'd better get my butt back to Jesus.
So anyway...
Flowing Spirit
My spirit took flight
soaring through the air mocking a bird gliding effortlessly
so far away from worries and strife
safe in a haven
My place fully recognized
carefully orchestrated
created to suit the needs
of a wounded spirit
My desires carefully placed
as precious and treasured
as a smooth, shining stone
found by a joyful soul, unexpecting
My spirit found itself
being true to itself
allowed to be what it truly longs to be
My journey back
my soul settled in ready to be tucked down away
just out of danger's reach
But the joy of the remembrance
streams down my face in the dark,
and comforts my soul in it's place.
soaring through the air mocking a bird gliding effortlessly
so far away from worries and strife
safe in a haven
My place fully recognized
carefully orchestrated
created to suit the needs
of a wounded spirit
My desires carefully placed
as precious and treasured
as a smooth, shining stone
found by a joyful soul, unexpecting
My spirit found itself
being true to itself
allowed to be what it truly longs to be
My journey back
my soul settled in ready to be tucked down away
just out of danger's reach
But the joy of the remembrance
streams down my face in the dark,
and comforts my soul in it's place.
So there. That's what happens when you try to fill yourself with anything other than God. You turn into a whiny, self absorbed poet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)