It's Like Bubble Gum

This month marked the 30th birthday of my good friend E. A few of us decided that she needed to celebrate the start of her fourth decade of life in style. The first surprise was a visit from her mom. We had been scheming for weeks. Mama C flew in late Wednesday night (a few days before her actual birthday) and stayed at my place. The next day we made a pit stop at the wonderful Dunkin' Donuts and headed to work. I told E that I brought her a coffee and donuts and her mom! She was speechless.

The next surprise was the party on Saturday afternoon. Since E's birthday was on Easter weekend she'd asked for a bunny cake. Little did she know that our dear friend LadyBoyd was slaving away on the most awesome bunny cake ever. And since it was Easter after all, a carrot cake accompanied it. Have I ever said how much I love LadyBoyd (and her cake skills)? E has a small obsession with kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, Rachel Ray, and all things cooking related. So, we (LadyBoyd, R, & I) came up with the perfect gift: a Taste of Italy cooking class at the local Viking Cooking School. It was a test of patience for E since she had to wait until last night for all the action. It was a lot of fun. The mouth-watering menu consisted of grilled portabella mushrooms with herb butter, herb and cheese flan, pan seared veal with fennel tomato sauce, herb pasta, and almond cake. We all worked together on the meal.

Reading the menu before starting the chopping.

Having a little fun at the mixer.

Food processors are fun!

Dinner's ready!

My favorite part of the meal was the herb cheese flan. I've always been a fan of sweet caramel flan, but this light, savory flan we made is without comparison. I will be making it again even if it's just for me and the cats. And since I learned how to make it, I had to try the veal. Sorry to report I wasn't impressed. Being a vegetarian (more out of habit than the whole PETA angle), I wasn't happy with the lack of flavor or the texture. Just like the time I tried filet mignon at the meat palace, the texture reminded me of (please don't laugh!) old bubble gum--lots of chewing, but no bubbles. But all in all we had a blast!

Cheers! Here's to your 4th decade, E!

Jasmine

The Jasmine blooming on the mailbox out front.

See You Next Year

It's hard to believe that my little Daly is already a year old. I remember anxiously awaiting the news of her birth and then waiting another 7 weeks for her to be weaned. How much difference a year makes.

The first pic of Daly and her little mates Getting bigger, but not yet weaned

8 weeks old: Finally got to bring her home

My long sleek girl the night before her birthday. She's not a kitten anymore!

And so it begins

I've been fighting with my home warranty company for over a year about a leak from my shower that drips into my kitchen. I finally got them to agree that a valve needs to be replaced (this is not the main problem, just a minor one), but it was up to me to open the wall. On Tuesday I borrowed a husband (thanks Chris) to take out the double vanity and part of the drywall. Here is the fruit of that labor. I'll let you know how it ends up next week.

Year of Evangelism - part 2

As promised, here is the prayer part of the Prayer & Fasting handout that I worked on. From what I could tell, the presentation I made on Sabbath was well received. I was also pleasantly surprised at the amount of people who stuck around and participated in the prayer walk that we did around the church building.

A Short Guide to Prayer

It is common to have prayer without fasting and you can even fast without prayer, but when prayer and fasting are used together a whole other level of communion with God can be reached. During this Year of Evangelism, it is important not to neglect the opportunity being given to ask God’s blessing on the series and programs that are being presented both locally and around the country. Paul encourages Christians to “pray without ceasing “(1 Thes 5:17). One way everyone can take part is with purposeful praying. Below is a list of a few ways to incorporate purpose driven prayer into your day.

· Appointment Prayer – Every member is encouraged to stop and pray at 7am and 7pm every day. These can be quick one sentence prayers asking for God’s blessing on the upcoming evangelistic series. Pray not only for the leaders, but those who are making a decision about coming to the series as well. Just imagine, our entire church spread out all over the Memphis metro area in prayer at the exact same time! · Trigger Prayer – Think about committing to pray throughout the day each time you see a specific trigger. The trigger you choose is up to you. If you do a lot of non-highway driving you may want to stop and pray at every red light you come to. If you are in an office, you might want to choose a specific time trigger. Consider praying each time you notice the clock repeating numbers such as 10:10, 2:02 or each time you check your email. Your trigger should be something that you can easily come across and will serve as a reminder to pray throughout even the most hectic day. · Prayer Partners – Find someone who will pray with you over the phone or in person. You can also serve as an accountability partner for each other. You may also want to write down or email prayers throughout the day to encourage one another. · Prayer Walk/Drive – Pray as you walk or drive around a neighborhood for those living and working in the area. Take your time to stop and observe the neighborhood for specific needs. For example, if there are toys in the yard pray for the children in the home; if you come across a business pray for the customers and the financial needs of the business.

The Year of Evangelism

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (of which I am a member) has dubbed 2009 the Year of Evangelism for the North American Division. This means that every church in North America is focusing on bringing people to Christ and enlisting every church member. There will be seminars throughout the year as well as other friendship based activities for sharing. One of the things that churches throughout the country are doing to support the work of evangelism is through prayer in fasting. I've been asked to help spearhead this initiative in my local church. Below is the handout I worked on about fasting. One on prayer will be forthcoming.

A Short Guide to Fasting

Complete fasting traditionally refers to a period of time when someone willingly goes without food and drink—with the exception of water. (The morning meal, breakfast, is to literally “break fasting”.) The basic idea of a religiously motivated fast is to do without something that is a major part of your life for a set amount of time and for the specific purpose of humbling or afflicting our souls (Leviticus 16:29) in communion with God. As a result, fasting is not limited to just denying yourself food. In fact, a complete fast is not something that all people can do. Some individuals have medical conditions which make fasting for several days detrimental to their health.

Another option is a partial fast. One example of a partial fast is intentionally leaving certain foods—such as dairy, meat, highly processed or fast food, etc—out of your diet much like the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Fridays during Lent. Other types of fasting that can be done in conjunction with or in place of a dietary fast could involve abstaining from watching television, surfing the internet , sexual relations, shopping, working, hobbies, or any other activity which may distract you from fully focusing on communing with God.

According to the Bible fasting was done both individually and communally. People are recorded as fasting on many diverse occasions such as to ask for God’s favor (2 Samuel 12:16-23), to ward off crisis and ask for protection (Esther 4:16), to mourn a death (2 Samuel 1:12), to ask for repentance (Jonah 3:5, Psalms 69:10), and to ask for the revelation of God’s will (Acts 13:2-3, 2 Chronicles 20: 3-4).

The Bible also mentions the misuse of fasting. A couple of examples can be seen in Acts 23: 12-14 when a group of Jews made an oath to fast until the death of Paul. Another is mentioned in Jeremiah 14:12 when the nation fasted in mock repentance. A fast is not a hunger strike neither is it a way for us to convince God of our plans, but a way for us to hear to God. Remember, fasting is a humbling of oneself and should not be used to show spiritual superiority as was the case for the Pharisees (Luke 18:12).

For more information about fasting:

Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8, 1 Kings 21:27, Nehemiah 1:4, Matthew 4:2, Matthew 6:16, Matthew 9:15, Acts 9:9, Acts 14:23, 1 Samuel 31:13, Ezra 8:21-23, Ezra 10:6, Deuteronomy 9:9-18, Job 33:19-20, Psalms 102:2, 1 Corinthians 7:5, 2 Corinthians 11; 27-28, Joel 2:15, Isaiah 58:2 http://www.spirithome.com/fasting.html http://www.new-life.net/fasting.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting http://www.adventistreview.org/2001-1537/story3.html There are also several books on the topic of Christian fasting.

Photo Stories

Like the proud mama of two beautiful furbabies that I am, I thought I'd share some pictures.

Since she was born in March of 2008, this was Daly's first Christmas. She took advantage of the new areas to explore that the Christmas tree provided, as seen above. This is probably how she got the hole in her cornea. At least that's what O'Malley would have us believe.

This morning I awoke to snow flurries. As you can see it actually stuck. Daly was sitting in the bedroom window and trying to figure out why there was white stuff floating around. So, I decided to let the girls out to enjoy the first (and hopefully last) snow of the year.

O'Malley, being a New England born lass, was right at home. She sniffed out the holly trees and put up quite a fight when I decided it was time to go back inside. Next, it was Daly's turn. This is the first time I have ever let her outside. Once she got to the step she was mortified to find out that I closed the door behind us. She started crying like she was on the way to the vet to get her eye stained again.

She did venture off the step very briefly. When I knelt down to get a pic, she jumped (literally) at the chance to get off of the cold ground. She quickly made her way up my leg and onto my shoulder, crying all the way. That was our cue to head back inside. Something tells me my Memphis born girl won't be begging to go outside anytime soon.

So Soon?

I’m a little surprised that this is happening so soon. I had expected it to happen sometime after I had children; or even after I’d gotten married (since I am getting a late start—assuming I start at all—on that one). No such luck. I feel like I’m too young for this to be happening. The signs were all there, but I refused to see them. It wasn’t until a friend’s husband, a navy corpsman, made a comment over Friday’s Christmas brunch that it hit me. My friend E, the accountant, seconded his observation. How could this be? I’m a single girl, just 30 years old. And yet, it’s undeniable. I’m turning into my mother! And here is photographic evidence:

Happy Holidays!

It's That Time of Year

I knew it was coming. There's a chill in the air. I've started my shopping. I even plugged in and turned on the electric blanket last night. And now I have my tree up. I came home (after a very long 4 day work week) tonight to a box of goodies sitting by the front door. My WIR Secret Santa sent me lots of Christmas goodies which got me in a festive mood.

I also pulled out my Irish Nativity. As you can see, this is only part of the set. The shepherds, goats, more lambs, another angel, donkey, and the little drummer boy are still at my mom's house. (Nanny started the subscription for me so all of the items ship to her.) I was able to look them over Thanksgiving day and am quite pleased. Now I just need to convince my mother to ship them out to me before Christmas! And imagine my surprise at the three nails poking out of my mantle. Back when my parents came for Christmas in 2005, I had purchased three stockings. True, it's two years later and they've never been used. But I do have a stocking for all of the house's residents. The fact that the other two are quadrupeds and have slightly more fur than I do is irrelevant.

One and Only

A devil-eyed Daly, an indifferent O'Malley and a wonderful view of the inside of my nose. Is this really destined to be our Christmas photo for 2008? It just might be.

Melancholy

I can’t put my finger on the cause, but today is a melancholy day. It is likely an assortment of things: Take one part SAD, two parts fond memories of friendships which have been lost—those intentionally lost mingling with those which have faded with time, sprinkle in seeing the motherhood of my friends followed with a dash of holding their precious young ones. Top with your choice of a backlog of unused cleaning days, an overabundance of nightly church expectations, a lack of social commitments, and no work out days. I have all of the above available.

Enough Said

Weekends Update

I know I am long overdue on reporting back on the Women's Retreat from the end of September, so I will start with that. On Friday afternoon, Sept 26, S and I made the 4 hour drive to Indian Creek Camp. I had never been there before and was pleasantly surprised at the ease of the trip. My favorite part of the drive--aside from the pit stop in Jackson to get some Dunkin Donuts coffee--was the rolling hills as we got closer to Nashville. I almost forgot that I was in Tennessee and not New England. We got to the camp just in time to get settled and make our way to dinner. The weekend was very refreshing and uplifting. I enjoyed the energy our speakers brought to their topics. One of the reasons why S was wanting to go this particular weekend was that she had known the main speaker, Lynn Ortel, several years earlier. And of course due to the incestuous nature of the SDA community, I had a connection to her as well. Lynn, an AUC alumni, is friends will my family in Maine. S and I wrapped up the weekend with a School Board Seminar at the conference office which was much more interesting and informative then I was expecting. I even managed to stay on my meal plan for all of the breakfasts and lunches and come home the exact same weight as when I left. As you can see from my previous post, my relaxing and refreshing weekend was followed by over a week of sickness. Once I realized that this wasn't a simple cold, I went to the doctor and received a beautiful Z Pack. With the exception of a lingering dry cough and an outgoing voicemail message created on a sick day (my voice always changes when I'm sick), everything is back to normal. So normal in fact that Saturday night I hosted a group of 5 teens and tweens for a movie night at my house. We watched the classics--Uncle Buck and The Goonies. It was a bit strange to see Josh Brolin on the Today Show talking about his latest movie this morning. All I could picture was him wearing sweat pants under his running shorts.

Sickly

I had a great time last weekend at the Women's Retreat. (I'll do a post about it this weekend. The speaker went to AUC with my Aunt Winnie. Yet another example of how incestuously small the Adventist community is.) Then on Tuesday I started feeling a little sickly but still made it out to Avenue Q with LadyBoyd and her hubband. I don't remember the last time I laughed that much--the car ride home was just as amusing as the show. By Wednesday the sickness had hit. Massive sore throat, sinus pressure and inflamed vocal cords which make me sound like a grown up. I had to leave work early on Thursday and am taking a half day today. I don't even want to think about all of the house work that needs to be done this week before I open my house up for another Teen Movie Night on the 11th. Hopefully with enough water and cat hair this cold won't stick around. On a good note, I weighed in today and I'm down a total of 9.2 pounds since I started doing Nutrisystem. Now if I could just find the energy to get off my rump and walk. I can't let the MOANers down!

Weekend To Be

Tonight I will be gearing up for a weekend away. Laundry and packing are on the top of the list. Once I dig out my sleeping bag and slippers I'll be halfway packed. I'll also need to bring along my main dish foods for the trip. No, this is not a romantic weekend away (I don't see that happening in any near future scenario.), but a weekend away nonetheless. Tomorrow I will be driving to Podunk, TN* to the KY-TN Conference campgrounds for their Women's Retreat. The theme this year is Worship with Abandon. I have only been to a young adult retreat so I'm looking forward to this new experience. I'll be driving up with one of my friends from church and once the retreat wraps up we are heading down to the conference offices for a school board seminar. I don't expect Sunday to be as stimulating. Maybe I'll be surprised. *Name has been changed to more accurately describe the town. According to wiki, the population is 367.

The Week that Was and Is

This has turned out to be a good week after all. I was worried on Monday when my budget got blown out because Commerce hasn’t quite figured out that I shouldn’t still be paying for a cancelled policy. True, the cost was minimal and I was able to cover the budget variance with savings, but I did have to put off registering my car for another two weeks. It appears that I will have to take things into my own hands and not rely on my insurance guy’s confirmation. In addition, I was asked to add a third hat--running sound and burning CDs--to my already scheduled announcement and children's story duties at church tomorrow. This can only go well, right? As the week wore on, I saw my lawn being mowed by a local pathfinder (I pay her for this, but it was still a nice surprise to see her come out one evening after school without being asked.), received my brand new silver digital scale and my new food shipment from Nutrisystem—mashed potatoes how I have missed you. This time UPS left my 30 pound box at the back door so I wouldn’t have to wake up any earlier to pick it up. Wednesday night prayer meeting was an uplifting study of “Prayer” in the Bible and last night’s school board meeting was drama free and only an hour and a half long. We got out so early that another member and I were able to hit Starbucks—which is usually closed by the time we get there (they close at 10p)—for a tall non-fat no whip pumpkin spice latte and some good conversation. Other than the small Starbucks indulgence, I’ve stayed true to my meal plan and even managed to not cheat when I took the staff out Tuesday morning for breakfast at Brother Juniper's. If only ordering one fried egg over easy and a bowl of grapes is not a testament to my new found will power I don’t know what is. I’ve only worked out once this week, but am planning on at least walking some today. The fact that my shiny new scale told me this morning that I’ve lost 7 pounds (6.6 to be exact, but hey, that rounds up to 7) in four weeks is a real motivator. Look out size 10 jeans, here I come!

Labor Day

My mom finally figured out how to email photos from a CD (she goes to Walgreens for a photo CD because she hasn’t quite figured out how to download them directly from her camera to the computer) and sent these my way. On Labor Day Mom and I went for a stroll at the Memphis Botanic Gardens. Our first stop was their herb garden. You could tell that this garden was in the middle of being redone as the majority of the herbs were overgrown and dying. Mom was still able to identify all of the ones still alive and many that were past their prime. (Note to self: stay away from bee balm, but try to find some lemon balm to plant inside the house.) My favorite sections were the Japanese Garden and the Serenity Garden. The Japanese Garden had a beautiful red bridge that crossed over a koi filled stream. Due to my fascination with the fish (as evidenced by tattoo number 8), I promptly went over to the fish food machine and made my way to the stream's edge. I have never seen koi this large or in this great of a number. Of course the fact that many had a bright cobalt blue coloring didn't hurt. There was a mad dash for us once the food hit the water with many of them catching the pellets before they even hit the water. The Serenity Garden held true to its name. The serene water fountains and lotus flowers were tucked away under wood awnings. We took some time to just relax and listen to the water and birds. I may have to consider an annual membership.

Just Another Day in the South

Thankfully the heat of August is fading away and I no longer need to fear the 100* weather. Even though we are still hitting 90* most days, I'm ready for the fall. I can't wait until I can wear a light sweater to work and smell the neighborhood fireplaces when I come home. I will also be happy when the Palmetto bugs stop thinking that my back room is a fine and dandy place to hang out. Daly helps out some, but she would rather play than kill. Why, oh why, couldn't I get a killer kitty? At least she does something and lets me know when I need to come by with a sneaker to flatten and flush the buggers. O'Malley won't give them the time of day. Little do the critters know that I have a plan. The lovely guys at Terminix are coming over tomorrow for the annual indoor spraying. Take that! As for my diet, things are going well. I've eaten more lettuce in the 18 days since starting Nutrisystem then I had in all of 2008 previously. I promise that it's not all lettuce and rabbit food. I get good entrees that take little to no effort and it's just the sides (salads, fruit, veggies & dairy/protein) that I need to worry about. I've not once gone hungry and some of their desserts are quite good. As cliche as it sounds, I feel better, too. Since starting I've lost 4 pounds (according to the lines I squint at to read on my non-digital scale) and have worked out (and yes, walking the Botanic Gardens with my mom for an hour and a half in 90*+ weather IS working out) three times. Now if I can convince myself to exercise tonight I'll be on a roll.

Testing My Follow Through

Let me just start off my saying that I am not good with routines. I may be able to stick to a routine for a few weeks, but then I stop. I’m not sure why this is. Sometimes, like when I was walking at Shelby Farms after work or anything requiring me to set my alarm early and actually get out of bed, my body refuses to continue. Other times I just get distracted or lose interest. For some reason I have a real problem with consistency. Apparently, good intentions don’t count. Why does this little tidbit matter? It matters because on Friday morning I started the NutriSystem Vegetarian meal plan. The amount of pre-packaged food for 35 days (28 days plus one free week) is a bit alarming. On top of all the food that is shipped I am supposed to supplement it with fresh fruit, veggies, dairy/protein and of course lots of water. So far, so good—only one small 24 hour period of eating off plan (but that’s another post). I’m enjoying putting together my fresh options and planning out my food for the day. I’m also making a list of the items to order next month (almond biscotti and pasta primavera with tofu are on the list) and which ones I hopefully will never see after this month is up (BBQ Soy chips, fettuccini alfredo, the chocolate raspberry lunch bar). I am even mastering the difficult task of drinking at least 64 oz of water day. While this may not seem like a big deal, keep in mind that I usually only drink a cup or two of coffee a day and maybe a small glass of water/juice if I remember. (If this is the same problem you have, keep in mind that the amount of trips you make to empty your bladder will greatly increase. By the end of the day I feel like I'm going every 30 minutes! Thank goodness for DVRs.) The next thing to add is that silly thing called exercise. Tonight I am going to try out the Walking DVD that came with my kit. It’s one of the Leslie Sansone DVDs and I’ve only seen good reviews of her things. I’ll let you know how it goes. And because I’m a girl, I’m going to track it like this and not mention the depressing starting weight: Workout Days: 0 Pounds lost: 0

Meet The Neighbors

Tuesday night I met some of my neighbors. I didn't meet them at a party or even out on the street. I met them because I boldly rang the doorbell and they answered. I was let into their nice house and met their two Jewish cats (Levi the Siamese and Isaac the Black). We got to chatting and discovered that the Mrs. is from Worcester County, MA and even spent some time in Portsmouth, VA. Small world. Our visit ended when I got a phone call and went back to my place. Did I mention that I got the phone call on their house phone? No? Well, I was emboldened to knock on their door after locking myself out of my house. I had no keys, no phone, no open doors or windows. Oh and the glass in my back door is strong enough to hold out against several tries to smash through it with a brick. My wonderful neighbors across the street let me use their phone so I could call someone to call someone who had a key and could let me in. (Since the advent of cell phones I don't know any one's number!) Guess that's the penalty for trying to be productive and attempting yard work.

Jumping Bean

Within 48 hours of coming home Daly was back to her old self. She continues to jump up and pounce on everything. If it weren't for the lingering glue in her front paws and the three stitches on her belly, you'd never know that she had surgery just days ago. She is adapting very well and has no problems jumping on the sofas and bed. She's even mastered the fine art of using her front paws to encircle a foot and then use the one-two punch of back claws and teeth. Would it be wrong to get her de-teethed, too? I kid, I kid. The proper term is "extraction of the teeth". After church on Sabbath E brought over her parents (visiting from the Arctic Massachusetts) to see my house and the girls. O'Malley allowed herself to be seen and then slipped up the stairs. Day, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of the company. It was good to see everyone enjoying themselves.

Worst Mommy Ever

Yesterday morning I dropped little 3 pound, 19 week old Daly off at the vet for her front declawing and spaying surgery. The vet called by a little before 4p to let me know that all went well. They said that there were no complications and Daly was resting in her little incubator with her "boxing gloves on". Daly had to spend the night there, but I picked her up a little after 11a today. She looked so pitiful. Her little paws tinged red with blood, her shaved belly sporting a line of stitches several inches long, and one back foot noticeable swollen from being bandaged after the IV was taken out. One look at her and I felt like the worst Mommy ever. Her scratchy cry was almost more than I could take (they intubated her for the anesthesia and her throat is a little irritated). She of course tried to claw her way out of the carrier which only started up the blood flow from her little paws. There are now little bloody paw prints on the carpet in the back room. She's going to be staying in the back room for a couple of days. The vet told me to limit the about of jumping that she does so that's the reason for her exile. I've set up a nice little living area for her. Of course the bathroom (she loves to jump in and out of tubs) and the back room door will stay closed (can't have O'Malley beating her up). The hard top carrier is on the floor with a couple of towels carpeting the bottom. I've brought in the litter box from upstairs and am using the vet recommended Yesterday's News litter. I've also set up a feeding station with fresh water, special canned food for kittens, some milk flakes treats for kittens, and kitten chow--I'm trying a new brand and will have to force her to eat it since she turned her nose up at the last one in favor of O'Malley's indoor cat/weight control food. She'll be tucked away for another couple of days until her paws are more fully healed. Here she is in her improvised cat bed. I hope that she forgives me. We go back in 10 days to get her stitches out.

How God Used an Internet Outage

Late last month we had an Internet outage at work. Since our email, accounting system, and of course the Internet were all down I decided to do something I haven't done in a while--go to a book store. I went in looking for a prayer journal. Not one of those dated daily prayer list books, more of a blank paged (inexpensive) journal that I could write out prayers in. The thought is that I am less likely to get distracted if I'm writing my prayers down. Anyway, I decided to look in the Religious Studies section first. Since this is the Bible Belt, the Religious Studies section is quite large and well stocked. I don't know why I decided to pick up He Loves Me, He Loves Me NOT by Trish Ryan, but it called out to me. I'm not usually drawn to all of the "poor single me, why is God doing this to me, I can't live a complete life without a husband, I'm cursed and no one will love me and I have no value because I have a barren womb" books. But since I couldn't get this book out of my head, I shelled out the $19.99 and brought it back to the office. Everything was still down and I had no desire to file--I will never have a desire to file--so I started reading. It was funny, honest, and not too preachy. Ryan's style reminded me of Jennifer Weiner, one of the few chick-lit authors I enjoy. By the end of the night I was 150 pages in and I finished the next day. (For me to devour books at this rate a trip to Oxford, ME is usually needed.) This book really spoke to me. Specifically, this prayer that Ryan used was a slap upside the head: "When you send the right guy Lord, let him make his intentions clear. Protect us from ambiguity. If he's your man, let him make the first move towards me, and let him want the type of relationship You created for us--exclusive, devoted, contemplating marriage. Don't let me get all worked up again on the wrong guy." I immediately copied down this quote in my new prayer journal and made copies for my bibles. Why did this strike a cord? Well, just before I started reading this book I was making arrangements to visit MPC in Boston, a former flame who seemed to want to reignite the spark but would close down (ie, vanish or ignore any plan prep I asked him about) when it came down to actual plan making. I couldn't read him or figure out what he really wanted. Did he just want to try to sleep to me? to date me? or just act like it? I was starting to get worked up over his current vanishing act. When I finished the book I realized that Easter-only-Catholic MPC was MIA because he wasn't the man God wanted me to be with. Once I stopped trying to make God honor my decisions, all desire to have any sort of non-platonic relationship with MPC disappeared. Sometimes I really hate being so stubborn and hard headed.

Always Growing

Daly is growing each and every day. And I don't just mean in size and stature. She's growing more ornery, bold, and painful. (She does take after her mama after all.) I have become her favorite scratching post. She loves to latch on and climb up my legs. It does not matter if I am wearing jeans or a skirt or nothing at all. Those are the times that the declaw countdown is in full swing (Aug 12!). Here are a few new pictures. As you can see, Daly is a prize antagonist. This part of the nightly ritual involves O'Malley sitting pretty on the arm of the couch and then swatting at the little one as she tries to climb up.

She looks so cute. Hard to believe that the other nightly routine involves her razor sharp claws and my blood.

The Girls

Daly had her 16 week check up today. She's 2.7 pounds and is fully up to date on all of her shots. She's also dealing with a small cold and now has to have eye drops 3 times a day. Good thing she's cute! Here are some updated pictures for your enjoyment.

O'Malley at her happiest--no Daly in sight!

Pretty baby!

The closest they get before Daly get a paw upside the head. Silly girl thinks it's a game.

Will I ever grow into my ears?

Something to Think About

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, but life keeps getting in the way. When it comes to email forwards I'm on a lot of people's lists. What I find really interesting is that I get all of the anti-Obama propaganda (ie, he's a practicing Muslim, his wife is evil incarnate, his name is similar to Osama, and oh did you know that he's black?!) come from only two people--both of which are spiritual leaders in their respective churches. It's sad that these individuals believe everything they read in an email forward and feel the need to pass on the ignorant negative personal attacks. Disclaimer: While I did vote for Obama in the primaries that is not why this gets to me. I would have the same discomfort if these people were forwarding on ignorant emails about McCain or any other politician. My issue is with spiritual leaders passing on any malicious emails and accepting things as fact without researching them.

Vacation

I had a nice refreshing, relaxing vacation last month. I spent some time in Maine with Dad. We checked out a movie, saw my cousin and her new baby, and took a nice two hour long canoe ride. We also spent a lot of time reading. Even though we were only there for 3 days, that was my favorite part. I really miss being so far away from the peace and quiet at camp. I also got a chance to see my first college roommate and some other of my college friends. Oh, and I took my brother, his oldest son, and my grandfather to Fenway. D was able to last a full 7 innings (on top of an hour rain delay), but since the game took 13 innings I was able to watch the end of the game at home. Here are a few pics:

Poppy's Favorite Part of the game

First base line seats

Me and L at Alewife

Wally the Green Monster at "Beantown" in Jordan's

Make Way For Ducklings at "Beantown" in Jordan's.

Oh, and Daly is up to over 2 pounds. She's growing so fast.

Back to Good?

On Sabbath I tried out high heels again. I haven't been able to wear them for over a month now due to my sore knees and ankles, but I figured that since I'm done with PT (but not keeping up on my homework---I know, I know) I would give it a try. I slipped on my white 2.5 inch heels Sabbath morning and felt ok. I was able to sit down for SS as I only had one student--hey it's the first time someone's bothered to show up since APRIL! Anyway, after SS I booked it over to First Church for Ella's dedication. My knees held up pretty good for those three hours, but I think the driving got to them a bit. Because of the heels I couldn't extend my knees as much as usual. At least it's progress. I don't know why but I can't seem to get anything done on Sundays. Does anyone else have this problem? I have such lofty aims--laundry, cleaning house, packing for vaca, trimming the yard--but spend my time on the couch alternating between watching TV and napping. I don't remember the last time I had a productive Sunday. Now, because of my usual lack of activity, I have to rush around to find time to fit everything in over the next two nights.

Three

I knew it was bound to happen. Hopefully this completes the cycle I mentioned earlier this month. Last night as I was cleaning up the kitchen, my garbage disposal died. I turned it on and only heard a soft whirr. The whirred petered off and then nothing. I checked my circuit breaker and don't have a reset on my outlets. So, a call to AHS was made today. They are coming out tomorrow. I'm guessing that the motor went out and they'll replace the whole no-name unit. What else can go wrong with my POS house? I'm afraid to ask.

Quick Baby Update

And by "Baby" I mean Daly. She's now 10 weeks old and as of her vet appointment this morning weighed in at 1.6 pounds. She took her shots and dewormer like a champ. And wonders of wonders, when we got home she and O'Malley were sniffing noses. They were less than an inch apart and not a hiss was heard. Lets hope that this keeps up. Last night they were not so nice.

Downhill

They say that bad things come in threes. I don’t want to think about what will be next. It started on Friday. I had just come back from my last PT appointment for my knees & ankles and was checking my email when my vision went wonky. By wonky, I mean that I was seeing a nice colorful, wavy “C” out of my left eye. I called my eye doctor and was told to make my way immediately to the local Retina Institute. Thankfully, it was nothing serious - just an ocular migraine. But while they were checking me out, they found a nice little hole in my retina that required immediate laser surgery. (Thank goodness for health insurance.) The surgery didn’t take too long, but was very painful. I was able to drive and resume regular activity right away. Unfortunately, my left eye is still sore and gets tired easily. That was one. This is two: Since I purchased what I lovingly (?) call a money pit, I knew that I needed to get my 22 year old AC units checked out. They’ve been acting kind of rough now that the sun is kicking in and since the prior owners took care of NOTHING, I wasn’t sure what condition it was actually in. I signed up for a yearly tune-up program last week and they came out for the first visit last night. Before I go on, you can get an idea of the situation by the fact that the tech was there from about 6:15-10p. The units are officially “very old and inefficient”. One of the units even shut down while the tech was there inspecting them. The shut down was caused by severe lack of maintenance over the years. So $599 later, they have been bandaged, freshly cleaned, and restocked with Freon (3 pounds were added to the upstairs unit alone). Unfortunately, more work is needed. At least another $600 of work is recommended to keep the units hobbling along. Now it is research time. I’m going to wait on the additional repairs (with fingers, toes, and eyes crossed) and schedule a call with a sales guy to find out my options for new units. Not that I have the money to get new units, but I need to be able to plan for that step. I know that it will end up being several thousand dollars. My hope is that by learning all of the details, I can make a plan of attack. I know that new units will be worth it in the long run. Resale value will go up and energy costs will go down. Why is being a grownup so costly and frustrating? Thankfully, I will be able to get a nice break from being a grownup later on this month when I get to visit Mommy & Daddy.

Get The Fire Extinguisher!

People like me. They make me cake and throw me parties. On Saturday night my friends E and LadyBoyd threw me a party. It was a semi-surprise party. I knew that I was going over to LadyBoyd’s house for a BBQ with E&J. I had a sneaking suspicion that there would be cake. Hello! LadyBoyd was hosting after all. What I didn’t expect was the size of the party--lots of food and people. It was fun to eat carrot cake and play Trivial Pursuit until the wee hours of the night. And yes, I blew out all 30 candles, including the nice black "over the hill"tombstone, in one breath!

Embarking on My 4th Decade of Life....

Yesterday I turned 30. I’m ok with this. I have a good job, great friends, a wonderful family, and a house—or rather a mortgage. I really don’t feel any older, except for the pains in my hips. But I’ll get to that in a minute.

Yesterday started off like every other: empty the litter box. I then had a doctor’s appointment to follow-up about my knees and ankles (Doc says things are good just deal with the aches with some glucosamine and OTC pain killers). When I got to the office there was a wonderful Coconut Pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting (everything homemade) waiting on my desk. Breakfast of champions! I also got balloons for the first time in who knows how long and then I was off to PT. We really pushed it and that is why I am now hurting all over. Tell me again how shoulder presses during my toe walks helps? The rest of the day went smoothly. I splurged on a calzone to share with O’Malley for supper and was able to “mow” (only used a line trimmer) just over half of the back yard before getting too tired. I hope to finish the rest tonight and also plan on getting a real mower for the back yard soon. It’s just too much on my arms and back to use the whacker for such a long time. Back inside I spent the night on the phone with the parents and grandparents and watching some old Law & Order episodes. I made it up to bed around 11p. And then a little miracle happened: Daly made it upstairs for the first time by herself. After I kicked her out and put her back downstairs she made the trek again. She also decided that she should come up to my bed and we spent an hour or so (around midnight/1 AM) debating this. She would climb up the dust ruffle and I would drop her back on the floor (mini claws firmly planted in my hands) saying “This is O’Malley’s bed, not Daly’s bed.” After about an hour, now closing in on 2a, I gave up with the thought that O’Malley would fix it herself. So up Daly stayed, just not on Mal’s side of the bed. Then about 2:30, Mal jumps up and paying no mind to the little one on the other side of me, promptly curls up and falls asleep. She stayed up there until about 5:30 then realized Daly was there, jumped down and thought that I should wake up too. Then she went back to ignoring the little one. It was nice to have both of them there, but I woke up about every 30-60 minutes to make sure everything was alright and that I didn’t roll over and crush Daly.

Here is O'Malley enjoying the long holiday weekend.


And little 8 week old Daly doing her best gremlin impression.

Introducing....

Daly. I'm still working on a middle name. I guess once I have to scold her, it will come. That's right: a girl. I was hoping to get a boy, but also wanted the runt of the litter since O'Malley is petite. Well the runt turned out to be a girl. I like the name Daly (pronounced Day-ly) better for a girl anyway so it worked out. This morning she weighed in at exactly 1 pound and didn't even flinch when she got her first shot and worm medicine. Her purr is reminiscent of a motorboat. She is 7 weeks old and smaller than my size 6 1/2 feet. She has the cutest tiger stripes on her arms and stomach. I guess it is fitting that my new baby has "sleeves". Her little face is overpowered by her big yellow-green eyes and gremlin sized ears. O'Malley is not thrilled with the idea of another cat in the house and shows her displeasure whenever their paths cross. Thankfully, Daly is a quick learner and gets out of the way. I've discovered that it is best to let Daly sleep downstairs so Mal can get her Mommy Time at night. The first night I let Daly sleep with me and Mal was upset enough to give me a good scratching on the shoulder. But last night when it was just me and Mal, she turned back into her purring cuddle bug self.

Only A Day Away

I get to pick up my new kitten tomorrow! I'll post a pic of the kids together if it's possible. As for me, I'm still suffering along with these dang knees and ankles. I had my first real Physical Therapy appointment today. It went well, but I have to dig out the bathing suit for Wednesday. Hopefully I won't blind anyone with my white, white legs. I guess this is payback for buying long basketball shorts for PT this week. As long as it helps, I'm all for it. On another note, since I'm doing PT two times a week for two week and have a followup doctor's appointment, I'm going to be shelling out about $200 this month in co-pays! Mom and dad better sell that motorcycle quick. I really don't want to have to use my credit cards. I'm been really good with only using them for work things or for discounts and then paying that amount off right away. It's so pretty to see those balances go down every month. I have the Teen Movie Night at my place tomorrow night. I hope that there is a good turnout. Unfortunately there are some conflicts, so it will be a smaller group. I think there might be pizza overload :) I'm off to get the last bit of things for potluck and then go on a cleaning spree.

Kitty Update

Here is the most recent pic of the kitties. Only a couple of weeks left until I can make one of them my own. They grow so fast.

Feeling It

Today is one of those days that I am acutely aware of my singleness. I spent a lot of energy dealing with other peoples problems and trying to pick up after them. I'm done! Isn't it about time for someone to take care of ME? I am the sole breadwinner, landscaper, house cleaner and cook. Oh and don't even get me started on being the sole SS teacher. I'm not asking to be pampered. Right now I need someone to share my frustrations with (O'Malley doesn't count this time), someone to get away with. Don't get me wrong, my female friends are great. But the majority of the local ones are married or in long term relationships so we are in different places mentally and emotionally. The only single friend I can think of I can only take in small doses. (We don't have the same communication style and I often feel physically trapped--personal space and politeness are part of this--when we have conversations.)It has been over two years since my last date and am missing all of the things that go along with even a casual dating relationship. Dang! Now that I type it, that sounds really bad. I do have an old flame (from back in 2001-era) who I have been getting reacquainted with, but he lives in Massachusetts. Besides, it's nothing more than the occasional text message chat/phone call.

Time Flies

I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post. I guess time flies when your life is boring. Not too much has been going on. Always teaching Sabbath School, some school board meetings, a leaky shower (puddles in the kitchen) that is hopefully fixed, a good cleaning of the house, and a picture of my new kitten. I'm hoping for one of the orange fuzzballs that is male. And since it's a redhead, I have no choice but to keep with the Irish theme and name the little one Daly. Cross your fingers that O'Malley will let him stay. If all goes according to plan, I can get Daly on a Saturday afternoon in late May and take a couple days off to watch him and the Head of the Household together.


I'm starting to get excited about this summer. I'm anxious for my two week vacation in June. Just the thought of nephews and sleeping and reading and canoeing and Fenway. (I may even be able to spend some time with an old flame that I haven't seen in years but still talk to on occasion. But don't tell Mom, she'll get her hopes up.) I'm also looking forward to not being "on" every Sabbath. I know that I will be doing a little something most weeks, but to be able to actually relax on Sabbath is very much needed. I do feel bad about "abandoning" the Teens, but I think that they will understand and I also think that I have some great replacements. Unfortunately, my current "co-leader" is not so understanding. He's been MIA for weeks and became very angry when he wasn't asked back. But come on! If you refuse to teach the lesson when you begged for weeks to be able to lead out and hand it back off to me with zero notice, can you really expect to be trusted with responsibilty? Sometimes I have a hard time understanding how people think.

Still Adjusting

I decided to start walking this weekend. There is a local state park with a paved 1.67 mile loop around a lake. It has been my intent (and so far I've followed through)to make two laps around the lake whenever I go. When I was walking the lake on Saturday, I saw a couple and their pre-teen/tween aged daughter doing the lake lap too. They were walking, the kid was on her bike. Just as I was getting ready to pass them, the guy lights up a cigarette. Only in the South do they take their smokes out to nature and make it part of an exercise routine!

Say What?

I had a very interesting phone call yesterday. One of my newer friends called me at 8:40a on Sunday and I waited until yesterday to call her back since the voicemail that was left stated “nothing important, just call when you get a chance.” Note that anyone who knows me knows that there better be an emergency or a serious commitment that I’ve made to get me up before 9a on Sunday. And this was my first Sunday in months where no serious commitment caused me to set my alarm. Needless to say, I refused to answer the phone Sunday. When I finally called back, my friend said that she was glad that I called back because she was worried about me all day Sunday. I was taken off guard by this. There is nothing going on that I am aware of that would cause anyone to worry on my behalf. Come to find out she was worried because I went to a colleague’s baby shower Saturday night. And well, as a single it must have been very hard for me to be in that situation. WHAT?! I’m not the type of person to throw a massive pity party for myself because I’m hanging out with married and pregnant people. Most of my friends fit in at least one of those categories including the married mother of two who was worried about me. Now, in the interest of total disclosure, I may have moments when I see a married person who does not seem like the marrying type (i.e., the very angry newlywed at this weekend’s shower) I do sometimes wonder why they can be married, but I’m not. This thought might last about 30 minutes or so. I know why I’m single. Marriage is not a priority for me. I’m content to sit, wait, and work on me. I’m not going to go husband hunting or look for a trophy somewhere just to have one. There are more important things, like being a good auntie and momma to my O’Malley girl.

Update

There isn't much going on lately. I've been very tired for no real reason. For example, last night I went to bed at 8, and woke up at 8 this morning. Maybe it has something to do with all of this nasty weather. Will the rain & thunder every stop? On the good news front, it looks like I'll be getting a kitten. A co-worker has a new batch of kittens (born this morning). She said that I could have a trial with one. I have wanted to get another cat, but I know how anti-social and possessive O'Malley is. I am working under the theory that she would be more open to a kitten than an adult cat. We'll find out in a few weeks. I have the option to give the kitten back if Mal doesn't take to it. Cross your fingers that it works out.

One Day At a Time

I don't know why I am so tired this afternoon. Maybe I do. I didn't sleep well last night. I couldn't stop my mind from racing last night and I am still running laps in my head. I've had too many Starbursts today (yellow and pink are best!) and my tummy is complaining. I can only pray that the situations that are causing this uneasiness are resolved quickly and pleasantly. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be going that way. There are more questions than answers and more talking than listening. We are supposed to be loving Christians. Where did we go wrong?

Sleepy Time

I’m not really sure why it happened but I was channeling Rip Van Winkle all weekend. With all my sleep this weekend, I’m surprised I don’t have bed sores! Church was cancelled on Sabbath due to the sn*w, so I turned off the alarm when I went to bed Friday around 10p. (I had already fallen asleep on the couch at 7p Friday night, but woke up an hour later when Dad called.) I woke up at 10:30a Sabbath morning, had a nice big breakfast, and finished watching a special about one man’s search for the Ark of the Covenant. I don’t think I agree with his conclusion, but it was interesting nonetheless. Anyway, I curled up on the love seat with O’Malley from about 2-4p and again from 5p-7p. I skipped out on seeing the Celtics, but that’s ok. I was in bed for the night by 11:30p. For those wondering, No, I did not change out of my PJs. Sunday was nominating committee, which thankfully had been pushed back to noon. I woke up at 9:30a (new time, dang “Spring Forward”) and wasted away the morning. I made it to the church by 11:30 and hung around until two. Then I went back home for a quick lunch and another nap from 4-7p and was in bed for the night by 11. I had hoped to make a trip to Lowe’s, maybe next week. This morning I woke up at 8:30. I should’ve left the house by 8:30. I had set my alarm for 7, but I guess I turned down the volume when I put the clock ahead. Whoops.

Pondering the Quote of the Day

"The central purpose of the Sabbath is relationship." Mark Finley, Solid Ground pg. 110. This struck me because we always hear that the Sabbath is a day of rest. I do like to take advantage of that fact with my afternoon naps. But I have to wonder if I am taking full advantage of the Sabbath. My guess is no. If the purpose of the Sabbath is relationships than I am lacking. I don't make the effort I should when it comes to fellowship with my church family. And I know that I don't (ever) give God the time He deserves. This is something that I am trying to work on, but life gets in the way. I need to realign my daily priorities much in the same way I have set up my monetary priorities.