Yesterday at work my boss called me into a meeting with the Manager of HR and apparently I was being called onto the floor because an 'employee' was concerned about my blogging on company time. Here's the deal. I work crazy-long hours because not only do I have a regular 40 hours per week job but I also coach volleyball. Last week alone with my regular hours plus the hours I spent at practice, games and tournaments, and on a bus traveling to those events, I worked a ridiculous 79.5 hours. Because of that, I figure I'm entitled to a lunch break. It's generally not at the same time every day depending on what my job entails, but when I take a break, I blog. Yes, I blog on my breaks and you busted me.
I had the opportunity to read your email, and I'd like to make a few points, perhaps throw out my own rebuttals to your 'anonymous' email.
You are never truly 'anonymous'. I know who you are. Technology is funny that way and there is always a 'fingerprint' left behind when you send someone something. But that isn't the only thing. I have seen and been the receiver of the same kind ridiculous emails that my employer received. I'd recognize that writing anywhere and it's a sad attempt to in a most cowardly way to try and get me in trouble. It. Didn't. Work.
You are NOT an employee. You are not an employee because a) if you were you wouldn't have sent that email to the people you did and b) I have NEVER made known by writing on my blog where I actually work, c) I have NEVER made known where I work that I have a blog so you have no way of knowing that, d) you said you noticed I was on my blog which means you're not really 'earning your pay' since you're screwing around on the internet at work. Ok, that last point I just threw in there because blogging is not like MySpace where the little 'online guy' flashes if you're logged in, so you just made that one up.
You do not work with me. You wrote that I was a different person at work than on my blog and had to throw in a little line pretending to show concern about me coaching based on this. Please don't spend time worrying and creating unnecessary wrinkle lines on your forehead because the cool thing is that I AM the same person at work, at home, on the court, in church and when I stand in line at the grocery store. I am ridiculous, sarcastic, intense, strong-willed, funny (ok, maybe I'm a legend in my own mind), excitable, goofy, not pretentious, determined, and caring to name a few. If you actually worked with me you would know this. But you don't. In fact, you don't even live in the same town as me.
Who my 'daddy' is does not create privilege for me. In fact, only a few people that I work with actually know who my dad is. You're comment was nothing more than some proverbial fluff thrown in there that didn't help your case. So leave my dad out of it.
You claimed anonymity because you fear repercussions by me. The reason you sent it anonymously is because you are not really a concerned employee, but a bitter and spiteful person that peruses my blog daily (yes, I can see who access my blog - tracking is cool that way) because you can not let go of the past. Sending a venomous and most ridiculous email to try and get me in trouble is wrong. Wrong. What you did was wrong. I am not the one that you should fear repercussion from. One day when you're time on this earth is done you won't answer to me for your actions, but a much higher authority. And HE is who you should fear.
As I was thinking about this on the way back to my desk yesterday, I wondered, how different would your life be if you spent as much time throwing yourself into something positive as you do wallowing in the negative? What if you decided to deal with whatever it is that has caused such insecurity and hurt and has kept the bitterness, anger and unforgivesness deeply entrenched in your heart? What if you let yourself and others around you be free from that and instead took on a new mission of helping others instead of hurting others? You could do some great things if you took the passion you have for the negative and turned it into a passion for good. Join a church and volunteer there. Find a charity that interests you and donate your time and help any way you can. Surround yourself with people who will care about you and hold you accountable when you need it.
I am not angry at you, although I am extremely disappointed in you. Your cowardly attempt at getting back at me for your unresolved feelings did nothing more than drag several people away from their work to deal with what essentially was a non-issue. And, you made yourself look ridiculous doing so. When motives are for the wrong reasons things tend to backfire on us, and your motive was solely to seek revenge and hurt me. It's time to let it go. Seriously, let it go.
I came across and interesting scenario and it made me think of the bail out that was passed by Congress. That whole thing is just too big for me to get my mind around. While there may be some good things about the bail out, there are some really scary things that make me wonder if it truly is in the best interest of our country. It's like being presented with an opportunity to donate money to a family that is in desperate need of food so that the children can eat, but you also have to give the same amount of money to a person who will buy meth to feed their horrible habit. What do you do?
Since I've known Jon his black hair has become a little more salt and pepper, but in a distinguished kind of way. I'm sure some of the gray is due to the fact that I've forgotten more than once to set the coffee pot the night before, and sometimes I throw my clean clothes on his pool table just because, or maybe it's hearing me yell 'Jooooonnn' from the bottom of the stairs in that most annoying voice and him thinking 'Dang, what now. Doesn't she know I just got my new Super Chevy magazine in the mail today?'. Regardless of the gray I may have caused, I know that I'm on Jon's Top 10 list. Some days I may be a little lower on the list than others but I'm OK with that.
There are times when the most ridiculous things pop into my head and it usually happens when I'm driving from point A to point B. Today I was thinking about Top 10 lists and thought to myself if Letterman has one, does Jesus have one too? If He did, what would be on it? Here is what I think it might look like.
1. God. (Duh). 2. Holy Spirit. 3. People - from all walks of life. He's very accepting and cool that way. 4. A 1961 Chevrolet Impala (Jon would argue that it is a 69' RS/SS Camaro in Cortez Silver with black SS stripes, but this is my list and he can put that on his own list). 5. Vacationing in Mexico. The people are awesome, the food is yum and Corona tastes better there. Ok...ok...he can turn the Corona into wine. 6. Volleyball is most definitely Jesus's favorite sport. You think he's not competitive? Jesus, Gabriel and the hosts of angels vs. Satan and his goons. That would be a barn burner! 7. Johnny Lang and DC Talk. I'm sure he likes the traditional hymns, but Johnny's got soul(!) and I know he jams to DC Talk. Boomin'. 8. Pepperoni pizza, Cibelli's style. Hey, there is more to food than just fishes and loaves. 9. The 'color' white. Not just because a zillion women are happy it's no longer taboo to wear it after Labor Day, but because it represents how much He loves us. 10. Bend, Oregon. Because He is the creator of beauty and let's face it...we live in an awesomely amazing place.
Is this absurd? Yes. But I think Jesus has a sense of humor. After all, He created us and we are ridiculous.
We are living in interesting times. The economy is sinking fast, people are walking away from their homes in record numbers and foreclosures are at an all time high. Spending on credit has put millions into huge amounts of debt and with all the news of the bailout and the stock market, people are in a panic. I don't think there is anyone that is immune and not affected by the state of the economy.
When it comes to self-indulgence, over-indulgence and greed, Americans are at the top of the list. I have travelled to Third World countries and believe me, the poorest of the poor in our country are still better off than the poor in other countries. Our glutenous, greedy, want-it-all-now lifestyles are finally catching up with us. We have put our faith in our jobs, homes, possessions and the all-mighty dollar and we are seeing what happens when we trust in material things.
I find it interesting that we are experiencing something that happened a few thousand years ago - it is history repeating itself, which I know it has done more than once. People didn't get it then, and we still don't get it now. We are living James 5: Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded.... You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.
I am thankful that my faith isn't in the money I make, the house I live in, the cars I drive and the stuff I have. That would truly be an empty and unfulfilled life. Instead, I have chosen to ride the wave of 'uncertainty in economic times' by focusing on the blessings in my life and living with a faith that even if I lost all of my material possessions tomorrow, there is still a God who is bigger than the deficit and He will take care of me no matter what.
So, here she is, the most drivingest (if that's not a word, it is now) teenager since Friday. Notice the huge smile. And yes, that is a Costco sized pack of toilet paper decorating our yard - no doubt courtesy of some lovely young individuals that my daughter attends school with. It gave me a good laugh when I looked out the window first thing anyway!
Miss Independent My daughter passed her driving test today and is now ecstatically in possession of a driver's license. She couldn't wait to go home and get the other car so she could finally drive on her own.
We had the 'no cell phone while driving' conversation with the obligatory 'I know' from her and of course I threatened to take away everything but her right to breathe if I found out she was using her cell phone while driving. There is a law that kids can't drive with anyone outside of their immediate family for the first six months that they have their driver's license. I told her I don't want to hear that she suddenly has a bunch of brothers and sisters that attend school with her.
I am pretty confident in her driving as she has a lot of common sense and seems at ease behind the wheel. But it's still a little scary having my first teen driver and now, she is that much more independent of me...
I have talked about my daughter and in a recent post I shared that she used to be daddy's little girl. I was looking at her MySpace and below is what she wrote to her dad and little sister to the tune of Steven Curtis Chapman's, Cinderella. I wish you could hear the song play as you read some pretty raw emotion coming from a girl that no matter what, loves her dad and wants so much to be a part of his life. I was extremely touched by this and with her permission am sharing something that is real, and true and what she feels in her heart. These are her words...
~Dad and Hannah Wilson~
My parents were divorced when I was 9 years old. I had always been Daddy's little girl. When I got into trouble my mom would send my dad in to give me a spanking, but he couldn't. He would never spank me or do anything to hurt me. He would just say "mom doesn't need to know I didn't spank you!"
After their divorce my dad found a new girlfriend...she was OK, at first... Then they moved in together and got married. I immediately went from being his everything to his nothing. (Disney called Tanya, they said that they need you to play the role as the wicked Step Mother in Cinderella.) She has never liked me because of how close me and my dad used to be. She calls me and my brother horrible hurtful names, and my dad can't say or do anything about it or she threatens to leave and take my sister Hannah away from him. My dad has one of the biggest hearts I know, and if he could I know he would go back and change everything. It got so bad between my step mom and me, I finally gave up. I figured I had nothing left to fight for. She had already taken my dad away from me, not allowing him to ever see me or spend anytime with me at all. She then took away my little sister because she was spending too much time with me and she was afraid Hannah was going to turn into me and be like me. It has been close to a year now that I have seen my Dad and Hannah and I miss them so much. My little sister meant the world to me. I would do anything to be Daddy's little girl again. I love you Dad & Hannah. I would do anything to get you both back, but I know it's not there to fight for...
I woke up feeling exhausted this morning. My body is trying to fight something besides fatigue and on top of that I've been struggling with feeling unsettled lately. There are times when I know that there is something much bigger than anything I can see or grasp that God has planned for me, but I've not been sure what it is.
Well, today was one of those HUGE 'God is never subtle with me and in His frustration with me for not getting it dropped exactly what it is I'm supposed to do right in my lap'. I'm not going to go into great detail because it would take away from God's absolute bigness and I don't want to do that. What I will say is that some really cool, extremely humble people have started a new organization called the Amani Life Project and I'm jumping in with both feet.
Because I don't feel like I could do the project justice by explaining it myself, I encourage you to go either here or directly to the website here and read about it for yourself. And in my excitement I have to give a 'Yay God' shout out because he is bigger than anything I can ever wrap my mind or arms around.
The 2009 Military Troops Calendar is on it's way and is available for pre-ordering!
This calendar has been made possible by the collective efforts of some extremely dedicated people who wanted to show our troops how much we support them. Thanks Mike, Scott, Corey, Kris, Steve, Anthony, all of the models, support staff and generous sponsors for making the 2009 calendar a reality.
It is an honor for those of us at Military Troops Calendar to do what we can to help boost morale and show our support of all the brave men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. This calendar is to commemorate the sacrifices and humility our soldiers encounter while so fiercely defending the freedom of others.
Visit the website at www.MilitaryTroopsCalendar.com to see a preview of the calendar and to order a copy for yourself or to donate to the troops stationed in the Armed Forces.
Since we seem to be bombarded by bad news on a daily basis(natural disasters, bankruptcies and foreclosures, crime, etc.) it's easy to become a Debbie Downer or Negative Ned because of this. So, I thought now would be a perfect time to come up with a list of things I think are cool. I could easily think of a hundred things, but I am going to just do my top 37, and I chose the number 37 because that happens to be my favorite number this year. This list isn't necessarily in order of importance except for #1. #1 IS actually #1 on my list, always.
1. God loves me, he's always there no matter what and he never holds my crummy actions or junk against me and he is bigger than any mountiain I face. That is awesomely cool.
2. Jon is the love of my life and I really dig him.
3. My daughter is funny, sweet, big-hearted, ridiculous, stubborn, sassy, beautiful and we have a lot of fun together.
4. My son is a hunter and fisherman, a gentleman, kind-hearted, extremely smart and he has a great laugh that makes me giggle.
5. My parents rock. Seriously, I am a lucky girl to have the parents I do.
6. Scott's BBQ'd teriyaki tri-tip. He is the King of that!
7. Tulum, Mexico. I am sure that God has a favorite vacation spot and this is it.
8. My house on the river and in the woods. I don't have one yet, but one-day Jon is going to buy one for me.
9. Indian summer days.
10. When me, my parents and my two brothers are all together. We can laugh for hours.
11. Chips and salsa. These are even better when eaten in Mexico.
12. A cold Pacifico with lime on a hot summer day.
13. A 61' Impala in cortez silver and black - and if God had a favorite car I'm sure this would be it.
14. Jon's laugh.
15. Walking Bozley on the river trail. He is the coolest most dorkiest dog ever.
16. Riding on the motorcycle.
17. Seeing Jon's face when he realized he was the proud owner of a 69' Camaro.
18. Rocky road ice cream with real marshmallows.
19. Friends that I've know my whole life.
20. A good cry.
21. Coaching volleyball.
22. People with big hearts and enormous amounts of humility.
23. My nieces and nephews, especially Eli in his Spidy costume.
24. Vacation.
25. Coffee first thing in the morning.
26. Eggs, bacon and biscuits and gravy from Pilot Butte Drive-Inn.
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The other day I emailed my husband about going back to school winter term and about some other random stuff, like blogging. He made a comment about my blog and I told him that I thought it would be easier to blog anonymously because so often I start writing something and then have to stop myself because of the whole 'who's reading my blog and can I be so bold as to reveal my true self' thing. Maybe it's my paranoia, but I figure .00001% of the US population could be reading this and possibly someone in Bend (those statistics are probably generous)and they are going to have an 'Ah-Hah' moment and realize it's me doing the writing. And I don't want them to give me funny looks next time they see me because I am insecure that way. Not that I haven't been so bold as to splash my families pictures across the pages, but I do write very guarded and you never know who is going to use the information against you, like maybe my ex-husband's wife? Ok, I digress.
Because I am too busy and starting a second 'anonymous' blog would be too much on my plate at this moment in my life (fun, but it would push me over the edge) I've decided to go ahead share a few of the things I started writing about but never published. It's not earth shattering-will-change-your-life stuff, just things I didn't finish.
I coach high school volleyball and I love my girls but sometimes I'm mean. My life revolves around two seasons; volleyball season and the off season. When volleyball season starts in August I kiss my husband goodbye and tell him 'see you in November'. I work job #1 from rediculously early in the morning until volleyball practice or on game days until game time and then it's anybody's guess when I'll get home. By week four I'm exhausted from working 6 days/week and can tend to be somewhat of a 'B' word when I let my guard down. It's a big sacrifice for my family and my husband does an awesome job of helping me out around the house and being suspiciously absent when my patience at everything has reached it's limits. But the reason I coach is not just because I love the game and the exhorbent amount of money I make doing so (I jest), but because I have a heart for the girls and have met some pretty cool kids. I love watching the light come on when the girls realize their full potential and the success they experience by playing their hearts out. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to be a positive influence in these girls lives and I value the relationships that develop from all of the time I spend them.
But, sometimes I have to get mean. I am big on discipline and it usually involves running. There is discipline for not calling the ball, not going for the ball, talking when I am, disrespect of others, leaving the bus we're traveling in a mess, forgetting any part of their uniform, and being late to practice. Let's just say my team is well-conditioned and they are better for it. I love my girls and I'm sure they love me.
My daughter doesn't have a relationship with her dad. This is a tough one for me because my daughter is her dad's first-born and I have vivid memories of when she was a baby and how she would fall asleep on his chest. He spent all of his free time with her reading, coloring, watching Disney movies, camping, hunting and teaching her to fish. She was always daddy's little girl until...
I could write a lot about this but have decided not to. I will say that my daughter has reached out to her dad many times, but the relationship is what it is because of her dad's decisions. I hope one day they decide to extend a huge amount of grace and forgiveness towards each other, let the walls come down and just love each other for who they are.
My son wants to be a youth pastor. My older brother, the one with a dozen-or-so kids, is going to start a Calvary Chapel church back in Virginia. His oldest son is graduating from bible college in December and the plan is for him to be the head pastor. My son has told me several times that he feels like he is being prepared for a life of ministry and I think that is a very cool thing. He would like to go be the youth pastor at this church my brother is starting, but there is one small thing standing in his way. He's in 7th grade and has five years until he graduates. I know a lot can change in five years, but if that is the plan that God has for his life then that desire will only grow in my son over the next few years. I think it's pretty awesome as a parent when we see our children have a heart for God and others. I'm definitely OK with that.
That is a condensed version of some things I started writing but never finished. There are a lot more (like why do grown women think it's OK to wear their pajama bottoms out in public. This is NOT a fashion statement, it's fashion faux pas) but I will save those for another post.
So this is my sons first year of being able to officially hunt deer, and let me tell you, the anticipation leading up to opening weekend of archery season just about killed him (no pun intended).
My son is the first and oldest grandson on his dad's side of the family and he has gotten to spend the first few weeks of archery season hunting with his grandpa. What a cool thing for Grandpa W to take his oldest grandson on his first archery hunt. They spent the weekends leading up to archery season shooting their bows, pouring over maps, figuring out logistics and doing whatever one does to prepare for hunting.
My son has yet to fill his tag and he'd like nothing more than to do so. But should it not happen, he's OK with that because more than anything, he feels blessed to be able to enjoy the time with his Grandpa W and these are memories he'll never forget. Good times!
I had the privilege of taking my kids to Arlington National Cemetery last April and was able to watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I witnessed this ceremony as a young child, but as an adult I have much more appreciation and a tremendous amount of respect for the honorable men and women of our Armed Forces that guard the Tomb 24/7, 365 days per year in extreme heat and cold, rain, sleet or snow.
As we walked through the cemetery I was awed by the rows and rows of meticulously placed white tombstones - markers for those who have served our country and are laid to rest there. As I took in the sight I thought about how each tombstone represents a man or woman and that some gave their life serving their country while others served their country and went on to live their lives. Some were farmers, and teachers, carpenters, businessmen and women, nurses, doctors, and clergymen and each had their own story. Then I began to wonder how many of those buried in Arlington died with 'unfinished business' in their hearts. Who died with anger or contempt towards a brother or neighbor, un-forgiveness or bitterness towards their mother or father, an ex-spouse or 'used-to-be' friend? Who had let these things destroy their life and take away any hope for real, true happiness or joy that they might have experienced in life?
The other day I was saddened as I read an article about a couple from Brooklyn who were murdered in their home this past summer. What really struck me was the title “Bitter to the End – and Beyond”. Apparently they detested many in life, mainly members of their immediate family, and when they wrote their will, they allowed all of their bitterness to spew forth and literally filled it with all the hatred they had stored up. Now the whole world has knowledge of this and most likely this couple will be remembered not for the good they may have done, but for the will they left behind laced with acerbic words for their family. How sad that they chose for their last words to be hurtful, hateful and vengeful instead of forgiving and healing.
I don’t think this couple is any different than me or you or millions of others in the world. They are just as human and prone to allowing past hurts and resentments quench the true joy and happiness we can experience in life. Un-forgiveness is a slow death, like strapping the person we have issues with to our back and carrying them around until we crumble under the weight. It’s giving others control and power over us. If I can forgive, I’m essentially taking them off my back, freeing myself of the burden and not allowing them to control my life any longer. We should take the saying 'get off my back' literally!
I know as a Christian that I am called to love. Not just those that I like and get along with, but those that I don't like or those that say things about me or persecute me. God makes that very clear when he tells us in Romans 10:12 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. If I have bitterness, anger or un-forgiveness in my heart how can I do what God tells me to do – which is love others? If I can't forgive how can God forgive me? Mark 11:25 -And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Living victoriously in Christ and loving others is dealing with our past hurts, anger and un-forgiving hearts and learning to love as Christ loves us. Its living Ephesians 4:31-3; Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
It's easier to be un-forgiving than forgiving. But, I don't want to go to my grave and not have taken full advantage of living victoriously in Christ and receiving all of the hope and joy that He has for me in my life. That would be cheating myself out of some pretty cool things I know God has for me.
So, my daughter has suddenly developed an intense passion for dirt biking and because she has inherited my ‘Ultimate Adventure Gene’ along with ‘The Faster the Better Gene’ I’m not too sure I’m thrilled about this. When she was ten, I bought a snowmobile and she took a liking to that because ‘Look mom, I can do over 50mph on this thing’, and she did. So when she tells me she’s going riding, I do the responsible mother thing and give her ‘the talk’ about being careful and smart and not doing dumb things, yada-yada, but I still send up a big ol’ prayer for her.
I must admit that is one of the things I really love about my daughter. She is crazy and ridiculously adventurous and not afraid of anything. She is willing to learn new things, so she is out in the garage with her step-dad changing spark plugs, oil and clutches (uh, don’t ask). And, I have a hard time not allowing her to do something that she is developing a passion for. I tried to limit her to riding in the back yard because that is oh-so-safe, but I realize I need to let her ride where there are no fences.
My day started out today with the crushing realization, when I was moments from arriving at work that I left my brewed to perfection(yay Jon!) steaming hot to-go mug of coffee sitting on my kitchen counter. Since I refuse to do drugs, coffee is my addiction of choice and because I am obsessive compulsive about having my coffee in the mornings I had to make a pit-stop at Starbucks to get my fix. Isn't it funny how we let the small things like that rule us? So what happens when we let the big things rule us?
I think a big thing that rules us is not liking and loving people and I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I know several people that I don't like and really don't want to love and my crummy, prideful humanness has made it easier to not love than to love. It's easy to make excuses as to why I can't or won't do the one massively huge, seemingly impossible thing God tells me to do (love the unlovable).
For whatever reason, other people can just be mean, ridiculous, hurtful, spiteful, irritating and unforgiving. I've known people who finger point at me while throwing out bible verses and 'f-bombs' and that's using God as a weapon(is that when you move out of the way for fear of lightning strikes?). I've used all those things and more as an excuse to not love others and I was totally convicted of it this morning when I was reading my devotion. One thing in particular that caught my attention was, "the person we dislike is still a soul for whom Christ died." That is a whoa statement if I ever read one. I have been the receiver of much more of God's grace than I deserve and so have the one's I don't want to put an effort into loving. But to do any less than give my best at that seemingly impossible task would be to minimize the grace I've so graciously received.
God didn't say we get to pick and choose who we love, he made it very clear that we are to love those we find easy to love as well as our enemies (UGH!) and the not-so-lovable.
Summer camp for kids is in full swing. Whether it's through your church, parks and recreation or some other organization, 'Little Johnny and Suzy' are away enjoying all that campdom has to offer. And some parents are getting a much needed break (you know who you are). My son loves his week away at summer camp and I recently received this letter from him.
Dear Mom,
Scoutmaster Webb told us to write our parents in case you heard about the flood and got worried. We're all OK. Only one of our tents and two of our sleeping bags got washed away. Nobody drowned because we were all on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened. Oh yeah, please call Chad's mother and tell her he's OK. He can't write her because of the cast on his arm.
I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps! It was neat! We never would have found him in the dark if it hadn't been for all the lightning.
Scoutmaster Webb got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone. Chad said he did tell him, but it was during the fire, so he probably didn't hear him.
Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas can will blow up? It was so cool! The wet wood still wouldn't burn, but one of our tents did, and some of our clothes. Boy, Johnny is going to look weird until his hair grows back!
We'll be home Saturday if Scoutmaster Webb gets the car fixed. It wasn't his fault about the wreck. The brakes worked when we left, but he said with a car that old you have to expect something to break down. That's probably why he can't get insurance. We think it's a neat car. He doesn't care if we get it dirty, and if it's hot, sometimes he lets us ride on the tailgate. It gets pretty hot with 15 people in the car. He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrolman stopped and yelled at him.
This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake. Scoutmaster Webb wouldn't let me because I can't swim, and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast, so he let us take the canoe across the lake. It was great. You still can see some of the trees under the water from the flood. Scoutmaster Webb isn't crabby like some Scoutmasters. He didn't even get mad about us leaving the life jackets behind. He has to spend a lot of time working on the car, so we're trying not to cause him any trouble.
Guess what? We passed our First Aid merit badges. When Dave dove in the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works. Also, Wade and I threw up. Scoutmaster Webb said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken. He said they got sick like that with the food they ate in prison. I'm so glad he got out and became our Scoutmaster. He said he figured out how to do things better while he was doing time.
I have to go now. We are going into town to mail this and buy some bullets and more gasoline. Don't worry about anything. We are doing just fine.
Love, Your son
Seriously, my son had a great time at camp through Westside Church. It is encouraging to see two buses full of 64(!) middle-schoolers pull up to the church after a week away full of excitement about their time spent at camp. The volunteers who spend their time loving on our kids at camp have a special place in heaven no doubt. Thanks for making a difference in my son's life. You rock!
I answered that question when I found this really cool website - it's http://wordle.net . You can do all kinds of different designs with words(click on the images above for a bigger view). I am having a totally pissy day and had a much more sarcasticapalooza one but since I try to be family friendly, I just did all of the words from my blog. Much safer that way...
So I'm on my way to church this morning with my 12 year old son and we're having a nice chat about his upcoming first-ever deer hunt in which he can legally, because of his coming of age, slay his first deer should one happen to stand long enough in front of the oncoming arrow. Anyway, as I passed Alpenglow Cafe I noticed the reader board on the side of the building of what used to be the Elks Lodge. I'll admit that I was a little shocked to see "I See You Baby Shakin That Ass". Now I don't know if the act that is performing (based on the name, which I can't totally remember but I think it had the word Metal in it) is Metal, Rap, Stand-up, Donkey Basketball, whatever. And maybe that is one of their songs, or the title of the show - I have no idea. But isn't it a little crass to use the word ass on a reader board in downtown Bend? I'm just saying.
I know that in the summer at any given time there are approximately 89,347 tourists visiting our lovely town. Approximately two-thirds of those are children and probably 50% of them were eating breakfast at Alpenglow Cafe this morning(that place is always jammin' when I drive by on Sunday's - they must be serving up some mean grub). And, I don't know if that reader board is really a great way of promoting our downtown. As a side note, my PC disclaimer is, I have never been to that place and I have no opinion whatsoever of the food, entertainment, management and I am not knocking this place. I'm just making an observation about the sign.
I was thinking that maybe for the sake of classing up the sign you could replace ass with booty(I never thought I'd use class and booty in the same sentence). When I think of booty I usually have an image of some black rappers who are surrounded by scantily clad women with large posteriors and are dancing around 'shakin' their thang'. If that is not the type of act that will be performing perhaps you could make an exception just this once and make booty work.
I was going to include a picture of the sign but thought that would be too much sensationalism and give them more attention than I'm already giving them. And maybe I'm the only one that was slightly taken aback by this, but my votes for booty.
I thought I'd set my sarcasim aside today and share some pictures I took of a most incredible sunset last night from my deck. It's like God's version of a big bowl of rocky road ice cream with real marshmallows and not marshmallow cream before bed. Yay God!!
There are some ridiculous people out there. Seriously, I encountered the tootightywhitey blogger. I mean this guy needs to switch to boxers or something. I'm just saying.
What is it with bloggers who can't handle a comment that doesn't necessarily agree with their anti-whatever rants? I make one little comment based totally on fact to repute what he has to say and he responds with a rant that is obscenity laced, factless and he has to make sure and tell me what a 'B' word I am just to make his point. Dude, you are so lucky that you have no idea just how much of a 'B' word I can be (yeah, just ask my husband..wink, wink.)
Being in a stepfamily is tough. I mean marriage between two people is hard enough, but when you add kids-of-the-bride and kids-of-the-groom to the mix, you don't necessarily get a lovely shaken-not-stirred watermelon martini with a twist of orange. If all stepfamilies were such a thing, something like 78% of the US would be happily drunk on blended-familydom. Rather, it's more like we're nursing a horrendous hangover from drinking one too many Schlitz-the-most-disgusting-excuse-for-beer-ever-made Malt Liquors (yes, I'm a beer snob).
There are a gazillion specialists out there who have written books, blogs and articles about the stepfamily myths and what in fact is reality (reality for whom?). I have looked at some of the myths floating around in cyber-space and while it looks good in writing, it is very ridiculous in reality. I'm going to take a few of the 'realities' and tell you what I have found to be, well, actual reality.
1. Successful stepfamilies will become integrated over time. Now I can't predict the future or what will happen when all of the kids finally become mature adults (we hope), but given the track record of the past three years, I don't see the 'big-happy-Waltons family happening at our house. There may at some point be a roomful of maturity big enough to put differences and pasts aside and get along just for the sake of getting along, but I'm not going to lose sleep over something I can't control. I'm just saying.
2. Stepmothers can be wicked. Now this depends on your definition of wicked. At times, yes, I have been the wicked (unpleasant) stepmother who has had catastrophically progressive melt-downs because of issues with my stepkids or failed to hide my radically intense irritation with them. I have also tried to do some things to help foster a relationship with them and that is wicked cool.
3. Two-thirds of children adjust in time and are satisfied with their new families. I don't know who came up with this percentage, but personally, I think some stepfamily guru probably pulled this out of the air to lend some positive fluffage to stepfamily reality. From the blended families I know (mine included), and from the blogs, comments and articles I've read, actual percentage of kids satisfied with their new family is significantly lower.
These are just a few of the myths I've debunked and I'm not saying it's all doom and gloom. We seem to have found some semblance of balance in the house - not that it runs perfectly- but for the most part, we have learned to just hum along. Do I wish we were the Walton's? Sometimes. For now we just do the best we can with what we have. I think I hear a watermelon martini calling my name and that is wicked cool.
In August of 2006, after the death of LCPL Randy Newman, one of our local soldiers who was stationed in Iraq, a handful of people set out on a mission to find a way to support our troops who serve both stateside and overseas. The inspiration resulted in the Military Troops Calendar. It is a tribute to ALL U.S. soldiers who bravely serve and for those who have given their life so that others may have freedom. A soldier who received copies of the 2008 calendar and is stationed in Iraq recently wrote: "I wanted to convey my thanks once again for sending me the 50 calendars. I have distributed them to more than 6 separate units in the Army and Air Force to be shared by more than 1000 troops as they are hung in common areas. The Soldiers and Airman have expressed their thanks for the gift of these calendars and I wanted to forward those thanks on to you. You have raised morale a small bit, and every bit counts when you are so far away from home for so long. Again, on behalf of the Airmen and Soldiers serving in the Diyala and Sala ad Din Provinces of Iraq, we salute you, and thank you." It is humbling and an honor for those of us at Military Troops Calendar, to do what we can to help boost morale and show our support of all the brave men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. Check out our website at [www.militarytroopscalendar.com] and feel free to give us a shout out - we'd love to hear from you.
Everyone is talking about the state of our union lately. Gas prices have skyrocketed, home values have taken a dive, sales are at a standstill and foreclosures are at an all-time high. The dollar doesn't goes as far at the grocery store, businesses are closing their doors and the list of an economy in the tank goes on. I bet the same concerns and then some were voiced by the masses in years past and this is what they were saying 50 years ago (that would be the late 1950's).
'I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.00.'
'Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one.'
'If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous.
'Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?'
'If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.'
'When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.'
'Kids today are impossible. Those duck tail hair cuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know, boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls.'
'I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying 'damn' in 'Gone With The Wind', it seems every new movie has either hell or damn in it.'
'I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas .'
'Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President.'
'I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.'
It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.'
'It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.'
'Marriage doesn't mean a thing any more, those Hollywood stars seem to be getting divorced at the drop of a hat.'
'I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.'
'Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress'
'The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.'
'There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend, it costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel.'
'No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $35.00 a day in the hospital it's too rich for my blood.'
'If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a hair cut, forget it.'
Trading for the Masses
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