Bits for Sunday, March 22, 2009

As “good old 14A” says, “Welcome sweet springtime, we greet thee in song.” That means nothing to you if you are not a fan of the Andy Griffith Show. If you are a fan, then please know Barney and I sound much alike on that particular song, so I’ll just allow you to read the words on the screen and not have an audio rendition.

I’ve loved these sunny days…and in honor of the first day of spring, I have completely shut off the heat in my house and have pulled out the cute summer skirts. Never mind that I’m wearing a jacket and a fleece blanket over them right now as I write to you. I’ll happily do that just to have spring present and accounted for.

Yesterday I worked hard on spring cleaning…getting through about half the house and half the closet switch. I’ll just have to work extra hard this week to finish those projects.

The cats love sitting in the open window – although during my Sunday afternoon nap, I remembered the down side of open windows. Sirens become much louder! But the fresh air is welcome in the stuffy rooms, so I’ll deal with the sirens.

I told you last week about my retreat and my adventures entering and exiting the top bunk of my bed. I’m happy to report that this week I’ve had a chance to journal…at long last…and it has been wonderful to get thoughts out of my head and onto the paper. Of course that freed up brain space for other things to take up residence and leave me in multiple states of confusion, but at least it provides variety.

So many people have asked me what I learned while I was gone and some things were so big that it’s hard to condense them into words. I’m still contemplating them and trying to soak up every last bit of what God intended them to be for me.

But one lesson was more of a “kicker” – and that is what I want to share with you today. My friend Kari and I are studying the book of James. We’re crawling through it one section at a time, and right before I left, we discussed the first part of chapter two, which is about favoritism. (If you’ve not read it in a while, check out verses 1-13.)

We talked about how easy it is for us to categorize people around us – those we really want to associate with (if they would lower themselves to spending time with us), and those who might want to associate with us (obviously!) but we’re not so eager to rush their direction. James specifically talks about those who show up dressed well and those who might be What Not to Wear candidates. He wasn’t just talking about the dreadfully out of fashion. He was also talking about those who might wear filthy clothing. Dirty, smelly people.

I don’t think Kari and I are the only ones in the world to not push people out of the way to be able to sit next to a “shabbily clothed” person. It’s just our nature to want to spend time with those who fit in well with us. Or if we’re extra fortunate – people who are even better than we are, and we might become better just by association.

Fresh out of this study…after however many pages of notes on how to NOT show favoritism in the body of believers…I landed in a room full of women and found familiar thoughts running through my head. Who had the nicest clothes? Who had great hair? Who seemed to have a fun personality? Can I sit by those people?

Did I learn NOTHING?

God made sure I learned something. Without going into too many details, just let me say that the people I might have not rushed toward, had I been given a chance to choose my path, ended up being the people who taught me the most. The people who had great hearts for the Lord. The people who showed genuine faith and care. The people who took risks beyond what I was willing to take. The people who reached out in friendship – though they could have been having thoughts similar to mine – about me!

Humbled would be a good word to describe how I felt as I rode back home at the end of the weekend. I saw faces flash through my mind and I was sorry I was so quick to judge on appearance. I was sorry I hadn’t taken the time to get to know them first – to see their beautiful hearts. I was sorry I lost even a moment of enjoying them because I was so busy judging.

That lesson has not been far from my mind all week – and hopefully I’ll learn it quickly and not have to spend too much time in favoritism boot camp.

Spring (Cleaning) Fever

I took the last two afternoons off work in hopes that being up and about for work in the morning would spur me on to hard work at home in the afternoon.

As it turned out, it spurred me right into two lovely afternoon naps. Oh well. The best laid plans, right?

But these last two days (minus one rain shower yesterday) have been SO PRETTY and I think I have officially diagnosed myself with spring fever. More specifically...spring cleaning fever.

I've been on the go much of March, and as a result, my cleaning has been sporadic. The bright sunshine and open windows and doors have been wonderfully refreshing...and a spotlight on the cleaning that so needs to occur.

I love spring cleaning. I love bringing out the Easter decorations and the bright flowers (the fake kind that I can't kill). I love rearranging the furniture, putting away the fleece sheets in favor of the regular ones. I love exchanging the space heater for a fan. I love, love, LOVE bringing out the summer clothes and putting away the bulky coats.

I love thinking ahead to planting the flowers I'm likely to kill, and for five minutes, I even love the thought of mowing the grass. (Then, of course, comes the first attempt at starting the mower after it sat all winter and my disdain returns.)

And while I'm never a fan of rain, yesterday reminded me I do love the smell of a spring rain. Tomorrow is the first official day of spring, and in celebration, I plan to have a closet-switching party tomorrow night. (I know - I have the funnest Friday nights. Try not to be jealous, okay?)

So happy spring (a few hours early) - and here's to happy cleaning!

The Top Eleven...

...sang tonight. Country night. That's code for my one chance all season to know a song. :) At least until they do Southern Gospel night. Then I'll clean right up on songs. Here's what I thought - can't wait to hear your perspectives. And for those of you who so long to participate in water cooler talk around the cubes in the office...but can't because you didn't watch...you can at least sound informed. :)

Michael - Oh bless his precious little heart, I think he might be in trouble tonight. I didn't know the song - think I might have been able to like the song - but I was totally with Simon. Even with the captions on, I couldn't understand a word he was saying. And I didn't think country was really his thing. Paula said it suited him, but I thought he looked and sounded like he was forcing it to fit. Simon called it clumsy, and I thought that was a good description.

Allison - Just love this girl. I really do hope she stays for a long time. I thought she blended country with her rocker sound really well. Those two don't always blend well and I was nervous for her, but she made it work and once again, I thought she looked very at home on that stage. And hey- she got a "dope" from Randy.

Kris - I had goose bumps before he was out of the first sentence. I l-o-v-e-d it. I think it may have been one of my top two favorite songs of the night. Thank you, Simon, for leaving the issue of his wife out of this one. I got nervous he'd bring that up again since Kris sang a love song. But apparently Simon was too distracted by how GREAT the song was to bring that back into discussion.

Lil - CRACKED me up how Simon kept calling her Little. That was hysterical. This was the first song of the night I knew, and I wish I hadn't...maybe then I would have liked it better. Once again I had to agree with Simon (what is up with all this agreeing with him?). It did sound like she was at a wedding singing a song she didn't like. And I was very annoyed that she kept trying to defend herself...not so much because she wanted to make her point...but because she kept interrupting them. I hate interrupting.

Adam - Well I struggled with him last week because he scared me. But Tammy at my work just loved him to death, and Christina loved him too, so this week I went into his song determined to start over. Um, I think I need to start over again. Parts of it were kind of good, but mostly it reminded me of that sidekick singer in The Wedding Singer. Was his name George? I don't know - it did NOT work for me. However, I think he's got a strong enough fan base to stay, so I'm not going to worry about it.

Scott - I actually agreed with Paula on this one. I like Scott a lot - both his vocal talent and his piano talent are very very good. But I wish he'd ditch the piano too, because he is starting to sound the same every time. The song wasn't bad...wasn't my favorite of the night. I think he was playing it too safe. ALTHOUGH - I did like his comeback line to Paula after she told him the piano was separating him from the audience. He said they could move it closer. Good one!

Alexis - I'm pretty sure Brooke White sang this song last year and though I was a DIEHARD Brooke fan, I think Alexis did this one better. Until she sang that song, I didn't realize how much she looks like Brooke - if she had the long hair to match. I thought she did well, but I agreed with Kara that maybe Before He Cheats would have fit her style better. I think she'll be okay though.

Danny - I was so scared for Danny singing that song. That was pretty risky, I thought. He did a pretty good job of not copying it just the way Carrie did it, but there were some notes that just DID NOT go well. The second half was definitely better than the first.

Anoop - MUCH MUCH MUCH better than last week. I thought he was really good and I was so glad for him that he received great feedback. I was proud of him for listening and applying what they said last week rather than just whining about it. That shows good character. He won some points with me on that one.

Megan - At this point in the night, the judges and I parted ways for good. I hated the dress and I did not like the sound of her voice at all. In some ways I would have preferred the high school talent show Rockin' Robin sound back. Then of course I had to feel bad for feeling that way when I heard she had the flu. Okay, so I'll cut her some slack. But I am still not a fan. :(

Matt - Apparently at this point in the show, I was too frustrated by my not-going-well scrapbook page that I was multi-tasking, because I have little to no impression of the song at all, but the judges totally raved. So I won't even try to figure this one out. The scrapbook page went okay, thought.

Who goes home? Well based on performance, it should be Adam. But I'm going to say Michael.

Yes, I Know...This is A Day Late

No, I was not kidnapped by the Marion Mafia. Yes, this is the first time in however many years I've been doing this that Bits has been a day late. A dollar short many times, I'm sure, but never a day late.

Welcome to the land of Bekah learning to be flexible. And what an exercise it has been!

This weekend I was given the opportunity to go on a retreat. Not a standard church retreat where all the women run from home screaming with joy at the freedom ahead...and then spend hours eating chocolate and giggling together. Not a standard Bekah retreat of checking into a hotel room for some rest and quality time with a journal and the Bible. This was very different from any kind of retreat I've been on before, and truthfully, my mind has not yet had enough down time to process all that happened.

I've not had time to journal since Wednesday, which is nearly like fasting for me. In fact, I'm barely able to wait long enough to get home and rip the journals out of the backpack to start writing. If I'm smart, I'll contend with the unpacked suitcase and the bedding strewn across the living room first. But then - who knows if I'll be smart!?!? Probably not.

I left for my retreat at 4:30 on Thursday and got home at 10 last night. I gave the heartiest hello I could muster to the cats, called my Mama and headed straight for my precious, huge, wonderful, fleece sheet covered bed. There I conked out and slept without moving until the alarm so rudely interrputed today.

Hence, no timely Bits for you.

I don't want to say too much about the retreat just yet - the God part of it anyway - because I am still thinking and unraveling all that took place.

But for those who need a "Bekahland" moment - I offer you the following.

I knew the retreat was being held at a church campground, and I anticipated that the sleeping arrangements would be large rooms filled with bunk beds. And that's exactly what we had. We were assigned a location, and all the lower bunks were filled. Four of us were assigned upper bunks. Two of them were up against a wall. I was not so fortunate.

My bed was a tiny metal island surrounded by a cement sea. And by tiny, I mean that the sleeping bag was wider than the bed. No rails on the bed. And not only that...no non-athletic way of climbing up to the top. The end didn't have rails. No ladder, no chair. Just me and my no-upper-body-strength. I could FEEL the comedy in my future.

The first bedtime approached and I eyed that bed with a sick feeling. I glanced around to find I had a little audience waiting to see just how I planned to go about getting into that bed. I don't blame them. I'd have done the same. So I took a deep breath, stepped up on the mattress of the lower bunk, threw my arms across the bed and started pulling while trying to maneuver a tae bo kick move with my leg. For those of you who are I Love Lucy fans...just think of the ballet episode. Not far from the truth. After giving the audience QUITE a show, I landed in the bed and managed to get inside the borrowed sleeping bag. Only then did I realize this was a sleeping bag that was rather slippery on the outside. I could only imagine sliding slowly off the bed in my sleep. What a story for my funeral. "She fell out of bed."

Knowing that I was stuck up there in that bunk also gave me the kid-in-a-snowsuit syndrome. But there was NO room for potty breaks, so I put that thought out of my mind.

I set about trying to go to sleep, but alas - no TV. No fan. Two essentials to my winding down process. I didn't even have a clock to know how late it was getting.

What I did have was snoring. I was SHOCKED. Aren't men supposed to be the big time snorers? I expected a snoring duet or maybe a trio. This was a CHOIR! So there I was...on my back (which I never do, but I was afraid if I turned on my side, I'd fall right out of bed), staring at the very near ceiling, listening to the snoring, wondering if I'd ever sleep...

...and I won't kid about this part, because it wasn't funny at all. It was quite scary actually. One of the other ladies became ill in the night and long story short, we were all up for much of the night sitting by and praying, since we didn't know what to do for her.

After the second round of her sickness came, I gave up on ever actually sleeping and determined to get out of bed. I stuck my head over the side (while hanging on for dear life) to see if the bottom bunk lady was awake. She was, so I informed her I would be attempting to exit the bed at that time.

I scooted the sleeping bag out of the way for safety reasons, assumed a surfboard position across the bed and started to scoot down the side. My jammie pant legs caught on the mattress and slid up, up, up my leg while I slid down, down, down the side.

Hey, once you start a show, you gotta finish it.

Let the record show, I did not get back in THAT bed the rest of the weekend.

So there you have a taste of my weekend...and I must now go work off some of the food they fed me!

Kaegan's Birthday: Part 2

I called home last night and said to my parents, "Have you ever tried to have a photo shoot with an 8 year old cat? They hadn't.

I didn't reccomend it.

I was trying to get a picture WITH him, but you have to understand he is not a cuddly cat. He does not like being held. So anytime I need a picture with him, I have to wait until he's in a patient mood - sitting somewhere for a while, and then I have to just slide up next to him and start taking pictures.

So here's the attempt. I said, "Look up!" (as if he would know what that meant). Apparently he actually does - but I MEANT look at the camera....

So that's him looking up and me laughing about it.

Here he is playing with his new catnip toy.

More playing. I had to keep Braeya away from this part too or she would have stolen it. Oh lovely - my dresser drawer is open. SUPER!!!

FINALLY. A decent picture.

Guess Who Has a Birthday Today??

NOT me.

But Kaegan turns eight today.

Here is the birthday boy himself during the lunch hour celebration. He kindly took a break from watching grass blow to have a photo taken.

I accidentally put these pictures on backwards - woops! Here he is ENJOYING one of his birthday gifts. He wanted more....but he'll have to wait until this evening to get more treats. I had to keep Braeya away during this part because she would have pushed him right out of the way - no regard for it being his holiday.

Here he is sniffing into the gift bag containing treats mentioned above.

When I wished him a happy birthday first thing this morning, he seemed less than impressed, but I thought it was nice of Braeya to give him a little birthday kiss so early in the day.

Bowing to Peer Pressure

I wasn't going to watch Idol this season. But after some complaints along the line of missing out on water cooler talk of it here, I caved and watched the first night. So here are my thoughts. If you hate Idol and all things television (you know who you are) - please come back because I will have other thoughts on other days. PROMISE.

Please note that since I've been so busy watching the Bachelor try to figure out who he really loves and all the Biggest Losers melt away the pounds...I've not seen much of the competition since the early auditions. So most of these people were brand new to me tonight.

Michael Jackson songs? As usual - a category I know little about. So the songs were new for me, too.

Lil - Hey, a song I actually knew! I thought she was a great start to the night - she looked really comfortable on the stage and seemed confident in who she is. I thought she did a good job with the song, although I agreed with Simon that the second half was better than the first. I also agreed with Simon on the outfit - it did not work for me.

Scott - I remember him from auditions and do recall crying over him that very first week. I didn't love the song, but I thought he did a good job singing AND playing it. He played the daylights out of that thing and he'd only just learned it this week!

Danny - I remember him (and also cried over his story) from auditions week. I loved the look, and I really loved how he engaged the crowd. He's a good people person. The song itself was weird, but I thought he did a good job and I want him to stay around for a good long time.

Michael - I liked the song - never would have pegged it for a Michael Jackson song. But I thought he lost the tune in the middle and it seemed to me he was just singing it at the crowd rather than bringing them into it like Danny did. But it was okay.

Jasmine - Given that she's only 17, I thought the song seemed kind of old on her - and the judges thought so too. I love it when I match up with them! I do think she has a great voice, though.

Kris - He is a cutie - and I can't believe he's only been married 5 months and is now away doing this! That's got to be tough. Non-musically related - I thought the judges were way out of line for promoting the cuteness and especially saying he should have hidden the wife for a while. From the look on her face after that comment, I'd say she didn't love it either! But back to singing - he was really fun and connected well with the audience.

Allison - I couldn't believe she is only 16! She has tons of confidence in who she is and in being on that stage. I kinda liked her voice. Why do I always end up really liking the rockers when I don't even like that kind of music?

Anoop - Uh oh, Anoop! I think he could be in trouble tonight. He was a wild card pick, right? And he didn't do an amazing job - although I'm not sure it was as bad as the judges said. I think he could be really good though, so I hope he's got enough to pull him through to next week.

Jorge - I didn't love the song and I didn't love the performance. I think he could be in trouble this week too. I don't remember him from auditions - and I didn't see him in the top 36 - so I don't know if this was an accurate show of his skill...or not.

Megan - She kind of reminds me of Carly from last season. I know the Rockin' Robin song and didn't think she did a great job with it. Simon said she was clumsy and awkward, and I'd agree with that. I was thinking high school talent show.

Adam - And THIS is where I didn't even remotely meet up with the judges. He was better than I thought he was going to be, although I remained a bit scared for most of his song. But I did NOT get why Paula was crying and shaking - and then he was crying back. It kind of exhausted me.

Matt - When I first saw him, I thought - whoa that guy looks like Justin Timberlake! And then the judges mentioned that later, so I'm sure he'll love that constant comparison. I liked the song and the piano with it - good, I thought.

Alexis - Hey, I used to have that hair! The cut, not the color. I didn't like the outfit AT ALL. But, much like Allison, I think she knows who she is as a singer and she did a good job on the stage.

Two go home tomorrow, right? I'd say just based on tonight - Anoop and Jorge.

Game Night

Here are a couple of pictures from game night. Please excuse the hair. It had been at a track meet all day. :)

Here I am with my Wii Mii. Please do take note of the record score listed on the screen. Thankyouverymuch.

This was the second round, I think. We missed my first actual use of the Wii.

And here she is! The winner (sinner, I first typed - no no no!) of Aggravation!

Bits for Sunday, March 8, 2009

Though March has only been around for a week, it has already been a month of firsts in Bekahland.

This past Friday and Saturday, I worked my first track meet. Allow me to rephrase. I entered the IWU indoor track facility for the first time. I breathed track meet air for the first time. I ran a stop watch for the first time. And I worked my first track meet.

How did this come about, you ask? It came about because I still haven’t learned the word “No.” My friend Eric, who is in charge of indoor track meet events, called to tell me IWU was hosting a two day high school meet and he needed backup timers for the races. Normally the school’s athletes do that for him, but they were all on spring break. I felt bad, so I agreed and then spent a week and a half wondering what in the world I’d gotten myself into.

I won’t lie – I almost threw up for the first three races. I was petrified of ruining someone’s life by messing up – or entirely missing – a time, but the other timers patiently reminded me I was just backup. The official time was captured by very state of the art camera equipment – which was fun to watch.

I learned a lot during that two day event. I learned the names of the races and mostly what they entailed. I learned that some uniforms are really not flattering – even on the skinniest person. I learned how to run a stopwatch. I learned that the officials are simply amazing – able to keep track of the lap number of 20 runners while carrying on conversations with each other, shooing lurkers away from the finish line, and eating a piece of pizza. I learned that when the officials are as good as ours were in moving the events along, timers don’t get bathroom breaks. I learned how to run the lap counter – and also learned how to eagerly give that task right back to someone who dared to leave for a bathroom break. And I learned that 5 ½ hours of sitting on an aluminum bleacher leaves you unable to sit at all the next day…and the next.

After leaving my second day of four by eights and two by fours…oh wait, that’s lumber…I moved on to my next new experience.

The Wii.

I knew it would happen. I knew the moment I played my first game, I would be an addict. And it happened just as I thought it might. I went to a game night with my high school buddies. This was our first game night ever that didn’t include a couple hours of Dutch Blitz. In fact, other than a round of Aggravation (which I won, thankyouverymuch) that we played while waiting for dinner to cook, we played nothing else but Wii bowling the entire night.

You must understand something.

I am a horrible bowler.

I was a slightly mediocre bowler until college, when I took a bowling class and promptly cut my score in half. I supposedly gained great form, but I didn’t see the point if it cut down my ability to actually hit the stupid pins. My professor – wonderful, wonderful man – gave me a B. GAVE me the B. Kind, kind man.

But I was better at Wii bowling. Perhaps it was because a remote is much easier to handle than a ball. At least I didn’t have to worry about breaking a nail this time! We played for 2 or 3 hours and would have played longer, but I had to get up for church this morning and also – in case you forgot – the time changed. We won’t even go there.

But it has been confirmed…I want a Wii. Who knows – maybe in the land of virtual sports, I might stand a much better chance than I do in real life!

Just for Skyepuppy

Skyepuppy - I found my pictures of the Arch. Both the ones I took of the actual Arch and those taken from inside through the tiny windows. Allow me to say that I flunked each and every one of your photography lessons with those photos. They shall one day be scrapbooked (I'm still working on year four of my kid-life, so I have a ways to go) - but they shall not appear on here for you. But if you do want "what NOT to do" photos for your page, I have zillions.

Anyway, here is the picture in the elevator. That's my Dad sporting the festive hat. He has always worn those hats for as long as I've ever known him - until recently when he has taken up baseball caps part time. Baseball caps that say things like "Don't forget my senior discount."

Anyway, please note I wore my St. Louis Arch shirt TO the Arch. As I recall, that was a specific plan in my 9 year old head. As for the rest of it - well, it's just head to toe ROUGH. Ahh the awkward years.

Oh and I have no idea who the man is that I'm talking to. I must not have been listening in the NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS movie we no doubt saw in school.

Why Bekah Doesn't Work Out At Lunch

I hate everything about working out at lunch. I hate unassembling my look partway through the day - and worse than that I hate crawling back into it when I'm done. I hate dragging all the workout paraphernalia to work, adding yet one MORE bag to the daily luggage. And of course there is the issue of potential sweat during work hours - so unattractive. All of this is not to mention how very seriously I take my designated food intake hours, so to give that up for the sake of burning calories does not amuse me.

However, life is sometimes about compromise and this is such a week. It is our spring break (we do it more to welcome the thought of a someday spring than to actually enjoy an existing spring) so students are gone and the buildings have the "break" hours. This means the gym closes very early and if I am unable to work out immediately following work for any reason...I either have to work out on my lunch hour or work out at home. Normally I just opt to work out at home, but the elliptical is issue-laden at the moment, so I must use the gym or else.

Today was the first day I needed to use the gym at lunch, and may I just say: comedy of errors.

I decided to change my clothes in the bathroom in my own office building before walking over so I didn’t have to traipse over in my heels. I went into the bathroom and someone was in the handicap stall, so I had to use one of the regular size ones. I crammed in there with my coat and my backpack only to discover the floors were soaking wet from being mopped. That meant no laying my clothes on the floor and I had no idea how I was going to go about changing shoes and socks without getting wet feet. And because our toilets are automatic sensor flushers....it flushed on me three times just while I was changing clothes. Thankfully no one was in there by that point - because I knew they'd be wondering what was happening down in stall one!

I finally got changed and went to the gym only to discover that with my t shirt and warm up pants, I was sporting my lovely chunky cross choker. I frisbee-tossed it onto my bag after the first lap.

Did my walking without much incident and got ready to go to the car so I could go get my food – when I realized that today is the one day of my whole life that I didn’t put my keys in my coat pocket when I got to work. They were up in the office. So as I half-ran down the sidewalk, I calling work to see if the student worker could find my keys and then throw them over the balcony to me. I caught the keys, ran back to the car, went to the gas station to get my food and realized there were ENTIRELY too many choices. I finally picked out a sammich and chips and went back to work. I got my clothes changed back and was lugging my bag of food, drink, backpack, and coat out of the bathroom when I realized my pant leg was tucked inside my sock. Oh how attractive.

I fixed that and slid into the office only 5 minutes late. Not bad!

Bits for Sunday, March 1, 2009

One of my friends has “SNS.” Sunday Night Syndrome. Hits her every Sunday about 5 p.m. and lasts until she pulls into the parking lot Monday morning. I’ve warned her that next week it will get worse. Yes, in case you are unaware, this is our last blissful weekend of time as it should be. Next week – you can kiss a whole hour of sleep BYE-BYE. I warned those in my pew this morning that ugly Bekah could emerge next week. I thought it only fair.

I have SNS combined with SNR – the Sunday Night Rush. I can have a perfectly calm and collected weekend and when Sunday night arrives…as I’m trying desperately to claim the few last precious minutes of rest…I suddenly realize I’m not at all prepared for the week.

Just now I sat with the day planner, trying to get the month in order (love doing that at the first of each month) – and more specifically my week. What chores must be done on which day? What food must be prepared on what day? Which days must I exercise and which one can be the free day? How do the must-see TV shows overlap each other and which ones will I choose to watch over the others? Which days must I pack a lunch? Pack the workout clothes? Go to work early? Stay at work late? Go to bed early only to stare at the ceiling until the normal falling-asleep-time?

Where will I sneak in the writing? The scrapping? The card making? The laundry? And of course, each day must be lovingly packed with time for emergencies. Like, for instance, cleaning up the bathroom after the cat falls into the toilet and shakes water everywhere. (Not that this happened yesterday or anything like that.)

And in the middle of all this, Lent began. I thought about giving up Daylight Savings and choosing to stay on real time, but I wasn’t sure how I’d manage to make that work among those who cave to it. In years past, I’ve given up things like pop, dessert, a meal…usually something food related. This year I decided to give up…nothing.

I’d learned that the self-sacrifice of things I loved so much served as a great diet…a great discipline…a great story for the weekly Bits…but very little spiritual growth came out of it. And that is one of the main purposes I even participated in the first place.

This year at our Ash Wednesday service at church, the pastor handed out little Lent devotion books written by Henri Nouwen. You don’t really forget a name like that, and since I semi-recognize it, I must have read his work somewhere before. But since I can’t remember where, I’m just enjoying the things he has to say. And the second day was very important to me.

I believe I mentioned last week that in our Sunday School class, we talked about the Proverbs 31 Woman. That prompted me to revisit a book I’d read on the subject. For several lunch hours this week, I perused the pages of the book I read 3 or 4 years ago. I read the things I’d underlined and the notes I’d made in the margins. I read the “on a scale from 1-10, I’m a…” measurements I’d made for myself in various topics.

And something very exciting happened.

I saw some growth.

Funny how separating yourself from something for that length of time will bring so much perspective. I saw areas where I’d really struggled – and while I may not be struggle-free now – I’ve made some pretty significant improvements.

And that was what I immediately thought of when I read day two in the devotion book. He says, “Because life is very small, you can never see it happening…Growth is too gentle, too tender…It is small and begs for constant care and protection. If you are committed to always saying ‘yes’ to life, you are going to have to become a person who chooses it when it is hidden.”

That gentle, tender, immeasurable-in-the-moment growth can be marked…after a time of waiting. The giving up of things didn’t make me grow. It was the embracing of life, the diligence to push forward when I was tired or had Sunday Night Syndrome or Sunday Night Rush. It was the willingness to find the hidden and allow it to live and thrive.

Croutons

It's probably part of the OCD - I hate serving too much store-bought stuff to my company. One evening, last summer, I promised to make dinner for my friends Tom and Olivia. They're college students, so obviously they're not too picky about non-campus food. But I wanted to make a good impression and felt guilty that I was dumping prepared salad out of a bag to serve as part of the meal. Add to that the pre-shredded cheese, the imitation bacon bits, and I started to feel like they were just getting the same thing they'd get in the dining hall!

So I set out in search of a good crouton recipe. I love croutons, but I hate the ones you buy in the store because they almost break your teeth when you bite down on them!! I knew I could find something easier on the jaw AND something that would make me feel like I'd actually spent some time on that salad!
I found this recipe on the bestsimplerecipes.com site - which is the website for the Taste of Home/Simple and Delicious etc. magazines. I made the croutons and did not bring home even one of them that evening. What we didn't use on our salads, we ate just for fun - like they were chips! Since Olivia loved them so much, I always make sure I serve salad if she's going to be a guest. She told me last time I made them that I could just make a batch of these for her birthday - and skip shopping for anything.

The Recipe:

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 slices of bread cubed

Combine the butter, seasoning, and garlic powder. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes.


I use wheat bread for my every day bread, so that's always what I have on hand. I think the croutons taste just as good made out of wheat as they do out of white, but you can use whatever you have on hand. If the bread is not super fresh, it will cube better.

I mix up the butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic in a bowl. I just melt the butter in the microwave and then add the other two things to it.

I cut the bread a couple of slices at a time to save time.

You can make the cubes however large you like. I make mine about an inch square - because I prefer them bigger than the ones that come in the bags at the store.

I pour the butter over the spread of bread - that way I can control how much goes where and 5 cubes of bread don't end up soaking up all the good stuff.

I spend a little bit of time mixing the bread around to try to make sure every cube has SOMETHING on it. Granted, some are still going to be the "good" croutons with more butter and seasoning, but I can usually get the whole batch pretty saturated with the flavoring.

I spread out the croutons on a smaller size cookie sheet. I also shuffle them around on the sheet once or twice during the baking process to keep them from burning and to more evenly bake them.

Here's the finished product! Nicely browned croutons. I just store them in an airtight container until they're gone!

Card Night!

MAKING cards, that is. Not playing them. :)

This little group gets together every couple of months to cook together...or make jewelry...or make cards...or whatever else we decide to do, I guess!

You know that little game people play before a meal...the one where you stick your thumbs up and don't have to pray out loud? Well apparently there's a similar game for who gets to be in the back of the picture. Look who lost!!

The girls perusing all the card samples, trying to get ideas before they started creating....

Rachel made a "You Grow Girl!" card for someone who is having a baby...and then she used her own baby as the display table! :)

Amanda's super cute glam girl card.

Amber's precious card for her brand new nephew.

Me? No time to make cards - but I was writing one!! :)

Bits for Sunday, February 22, 2009

I’ve been sitting here for about 45 minutes, staring at the screen (while randomly surfing the web) trying to think of what to say today. I spent 2 ½ days in the fat chair, getting up every four hours to take the next round of cold meds…perhaps those moments would have been better spent thinking of a topic! Then again, the cold meds gave me some pretty strange dreams, so perhaps it is better I didn’t think of something to say while my brain was on sick leave.

I told you a couple of weeks ago that I’ve been reading this Women of Faith devotion book this year – and my friend Lynnette is reading it too. We email back and forth a few times a week offering our thoughts on the topics and learning more about what’s happening in each other’s worlds while also sharing what we’re learning from God.

The book covers a different topic every week, and the last topic was about friendship. Reading about the value of friendship reminded me to be very thankful for my friends. Thankful for those who have been a constant part of my life over the last many years, and thankful for those who have come back after life had a way of pulling us apart for a time.

This quote from one of the readings stuck with me: “It costs something to be a friend: It takes time, patience, affection, strength, and love. But the blessing of a lasting friendship is more than worth the effort it takes, and the friendship gives back to us far more than we can imagine.”

This morning in our Sunday School class, we talked about the Proverbs 31 woman. All the men chuckled and looked away and all the women breathed a collective exasperated sigh. The mere mention of that chapter normally brings about such a response. Women find Ms. 31 to be ridiculously exasperating with her before-sunup-to-beyond-sundown flurry of buying, selling, cooking, sewing, planting, harvesting, nurturing – all without breaking a sweat.

The conversation prompted me to come home and find one of my favorite books written on Proverbs 31 – Beautiful in God’s Eyes. Elizabeth George, who wrote the book, has a great way of taking this impossible character sketch of a woman and bringing it into a manageable idea to attempt. But she says in the first chapter that it’s daunting…that the idea of becoming a woman of this caliber is like trying to climb a mountain – you just have to do it one step at a time.

Friendship (when done right) can be kind of like that Proverbs 31 persona too. It can be a very daunting task. Very costly, as the quote said. To be there when you’re needed, to sit through the exhausting times, to be joyful for the other when you might not be feeling it yourself, to love when you’d rather chuck a book at someone’s head, to extend strength when you really have none to spare…that’s true friendship.

It’s not something I have perfected at all. Sometimes I’m an admittedly terrible friend. But I’m thankful that I have understanding friends who are willing to extend the costly kind of love right back, and they allow me to stay on the friend roster despite my shortcomings.

The couple of days I spent home in the fat chair this week did rest my body and helped me feel better (actually sounding better must be yet to come…) but it also made me miss my friends terribly. I was ready to go to church today to get a hug or two (true friends don’t care if a hug might give them germs) and I’m ready to get back in the real world tomorrow to see more of these sweet people who call me friend.

Because for all the hard work it can be…the smile and hug of a friend is beyond reward enough.

On the Mend

I've been sick. I HATE being sick. In recent years I've been pretty vocal in thanking God for keeping me on the mainly healthy list because I hear of so many people who struggle with everything from little to big, and I both hurt for them and don't know how they do it.

One of the perils of working on a college campus is being saturated by all the college germs. I have decided that campus is second only to kindergarten in the number of germs it can breed. I'm guaranteed one cold a year out of the deal. This year I got two.

I'm a TERRIBLE patient. Being single for so many years has taught me to be pretty self-sufficient. All these things I "never thought I could do" have come to be pretty easy to do, and generally I hate asking for help, so I just figure out a way to take care of stuff on my own. And as any woman will tell you (single or not), being sick doesn't give you the luxury to sit. Dishes still need to be done, laundry still needs to be gathered, washed, dried, and folded, meals still have to be cooked...and on and on it goes. I normally push through sickness with great determination because I can't afford to miss a beat.

But when I do finally give in...I give in. And at that point I become the world's biggest six month old. I sit in my chair and want to be waited on hand and foot. I want someone to sit beside me at all times, hold my hand, feel sorry for me, and bring me food - and the more sugar involved, the better. (And I'm good at returning the favor, so I don't feel bad about it.)

Unfortunately this round...there wasn't anybody here to do that. So I sat, randomly getting up for more to drink....more medicine...and last night even a trip to the Sonic because leftovers sounded horrible and a burger sounded incredible.

In all of this I missed two days of work, which literally NEVER happens. I don't know that I've missed two days in a row ever in my entire working career. Maybe early on. I just sacked out in the fat chair listening to the TV because to watch it was too painful.

Today, at last, I began to feel better. I dusted most of the house and dragged out the stepstool to hang up some new pictures I bought over Christmas break. Yes....I must be on the mend.

Chicken in a Packet

That chicken...it hides everywhere, doesn't it? In a garden...in a packet. It's the Where's Waldo of my recipe collection!

This recipe came to me from my sister, and it is one of my favorite things to make when I'm a.) feeling the need to be "healthy" or b.) not feeling well. Though you could certainly add whatever seasonings you like to give it a kick, the recipe itself doesn't call for any particular extra flavoring, so it's good to eat when you're somewhere between chicken in a noodle soup and chicken in the KFC bucket.

This also warms over very well for leftovers - but do remember to remove it from its packet before sticking it in the microwave, or you'll be finding chicken all over the neighborhood where it exploded!

Though not a casserole, this is a good "meal all in one" kind of dish. And did you notice?? A VEGETABLE LURKS WITHIN IT! Let the record show....

The Recipe:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves or tenders
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2/3 cup water
1 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place each chicken breast or tender in the center of a double thickness of heavy duty foil. In a large bowl, combine rice, soup, and water. Spoon in equal amounts over the chicken. Place broccoli on top. Fold foil securely around the mixture and seal tightly. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear and rice is tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.


A chicken breast certainly makes this a much bigger meal - but meatatarian though I am, I have a hard time eating that much chicken at one meal. I find the chicken tenders to be much better suited for me in this recipe. I also use whatever kind of cheese I have on hand - even if it isn't cheddar.

The soup, water, and rice mixes together very quickly. Don't cook the rice first. Just toss it in the bowl as it is.

It was hard to get a good picture of the little foil boats - but I just took about a foot long piece of heavy duty foil, folded it in half, and curved the ends and sides up like a little bowl. The chicken nestles down in the bottom.

This is the soup/rice/water mixture just divided as evenly as possible among the four "boats" of foil.

Also let the record show...I use more than a cup of broccoli. I try to put a pretty decent serving on top of each one.

If you don't seal up each foil packet tightly, you will have soup guts that leak out onto the baking pan. Not the end of the world, but kind of annoying.

And by "sprinkle with cheese" I mean "douse with cheese. Sometimes I wait for this step until I heat up the leftovers. That way it's freshly melted cheese.

Bits for Sunday, February 15, 2009

I will readily admit I’m an overgrown kid. I sleep in until ridiculous hours on the weekend, love to get presents as much as I love to give them, have no issues being on the phone for hours at a time, and think that animation (and any technologically updated version thereof) makes for a great movie. Without lists, I’d forget to do standard life chores like put gas in the car and do laundry. I work best when rewarded (chocolate is preferable) and am quite surprised that I haven’t resorted to chore charts with stickers to accomplish basic tasks.

And so it has come about that I am pursuing a new approach to prayer. Prayer has been one of my needs improvement areas of life’s report card this year, and I’ve been studying it both in my Bible study and in books that I’m reading. And of course, at church it has been the topic of both sermons and the midweek Bible study for the past few weeks. Note to Bekah: time to learn!

Last week I subbed for the midweek Bible study, and since my day planner list said I had too many chores to put hours and hours into preparation like I normally would, I turned the night into a discussion night. I figured in a group that size, surely people would have ideas and questions and we could foster quite the little discussion for an hour – and we did!

My question was this: what advice do you have for finding a way to pray more consistently over all areas of life? Imagine my joy when one of the ladies said she divides her prayer requests among the days of the week and focuses on certain topics on certain days. My mind immediately filled with visions of index cards (prayer and index cards are the perfect duo, I have decided)…and patterns…and maybe even alliteration. I was ready to walk out of the discussion on the spot, spread out at a table and begin my plan. But since I was “in charge,” I stayed and nudged the conversation until the appointed ending time, and then I began my mental plan.

I share the plan with you today for two reasons. One, it always helps if I have people randomly check in on me. (Overgrown kid checking in again.) Secondly, I figured maybe one or two of you out there might like a new idea if you’ve been feeling the same sorts of frustration that I’ve had.

Monday: Marriages and Ministries. For several years I prayed for marriages according to the day of the month; for example, if you got married on the first of the month, I prayed for you every month on the first. That worked out really well, but I got out of the habit a while ago and haven’t reinstated the policy. In the meantime, I figure Mondays are good days to pray for those who might be struggling or new in marriage…or about to be married. And it’s a good day to pray for ministries – organizations, specific events, opportunities in my own world – whatever is at hand.

Tuesday: Tune and ‘Tude. Tuesdays are just far enough away from Sunday that it’s easy to forget that “Sunday surge” and slide into a ho-hum week. It’s a good day to pray about staying in tune. And of course the ‘tude can always use help.

Wednesday: Work and Wellness. Halfway through the week is a good time to pray for those in the work place – pray to survive the next two days with them. (Just kidding!) And it’s the day I’ve decided to pray for people struggling with their health.

Thursday: Thoughts and Thugs. The thought life probably needs to be hit every single day, but I’ve decided to take one day and focus on the things that consume my thoughts. And since the Bible says to pray for your enemies…well…the thugs made it onto the list. Perhaps I should pray for them first and then tackle the thought life.

Friday: Friends and Family. It could be a long list – those two categories – so Friday works out well as a day to focus on them. After all, I’m allowed to stay up extra late that night!

Saturday: Sad and Sabbath. I have lots of extra time to think on Saturdays, and those end up being the days that I can easily become sad – because I think too much! So when those feelings hit – better pray about them! And quite a while ago I used to be good about praying in preparation of Sunday. I’ve not done well with that lately, so now is the time to return to praying about my own heart and the work of those who prepare for Sunday’s services.

Sunday: Sullen and Sundry. Sunday is typically the day I catch up on news – whether it’s something I see on TV or something that I read in the newspaper or online. It can make a person sullen. So I figured that would be a good day to pray about the gloomy parts of life and the world. And sundry…all the extra stuff that didn’t fit in anywhere else…the Sunday potluck, you could say.

So there’s my list. I’ll try it for a while and see how it goes. And like I said – feel free to check in on me!

Just When You Think You've Seen It All...

...you so haven't.

Mom gave me a copy of Indiana Nursing Quarterly today, because someone at her church gave it to her. And lookee here!

As soon as she handed it to me, I said, "That was SUCH a bad hair day." And she said to me, "I told the person who gave it to me that you'd say that. And you probably worked on it for three hours that morning." I hate to admit it, but she's right.

Hugs

I thought about posting this week...but I just wasn't in the mood. I mean, I had a lot to say, but it was better left unsaid.

But tonight I found the remedy for a rough and tumble week-of-the-heart. Hugs. They are the BEST.

After work, I went over to my friend Faith's house to take Valentines to her two daughters. When I asked earlier in the week if this would be a good day, she not only said yes - she invited me to stay for dinner. YAY! So we had a great couple of hours, hanging out together, eating pizza and salad and sugar cookies with heart sprinkles.

I got a big hug from Hannah - and my favorite part was during dinner, when (around a huge bite of pizza) she asked, "Can Aunt Bekah play after dinner?" And play we did - the three of us. We played Dora Candy Land and blew bubbles - and then watched Hannah "ice skate" a towel over the bubble puddles she'd spilled.

Kaylah, who is just over a year old, gave me lots of smiles and giggles, and proved (only once) that she has learned to say my name. We begged her to say it more but she just smirked and shook her head no. How in the world do they learn to be stubborn that early?

When I left Faith's house, I went over to see Liam and Savannah...who gave me tons of hugs. Liam wasn't feeling so well when I got there, so he just climbed right up in my lap and snuggled in. He also threw a plastic frog down my shirt. What a combo of sweet and all-boy! He ate the frosting off one of the sugar cookies I gave him, and told me he wanted to come to my house to see my puppy. I reminded him it was all kitties at my house - and didn't remind him they never make an appearance when he's there.

Savannah (as a good princess girl does) complimented the Valentines Day nail polish I was sporting and oohed and aahed over the card I made her. I got lots of hugs and stories about school. She showed me what a great reader she's becoming by treating me to a few pages of Dr. Seuss.

I came home from my rounds armed with a bag of Hershey kisses, a rose, a hand stamped valentine, a bunch of great pictures, and a fresh supply of hugs and "I love you, Aunt Bekah!"

And so the week has been redeemed.

Valentines Day....

My Sunday post yesterday was about Valentine's Day...so here are some pictures for you.

This is me with my Valentine's Day gifts from Mom and Dad. They actually gave me a gift card to Hobby Lobby (oh how I miss it) and I went shopping! The red thing is a glass plate that I put on my coffee table to hold the cards and spare Hershey Hugs. The Love sign is hanging on my bedroom door, and the little frogs are in my bathroom. It is about to get a princess makeover, so I thought the frogs would fit in well.


Mom and Dad with their Valentine's gifts from me. I always give the gift of food. LOL.

Another of my Hobby Lobby finds. Chris, this is my answer to Planet Lo-Carb vs. Planet Porky.

Gift number one for my parents - and I'm making more later this week - probably for work. They are the long skinny pastry like cookies dipped in a chocolate/peanut butter mixture and covered with chopped peanuts.

And gift number two - which turned out almost exactly like the magazine picture. A brownie - with many embellishments. :)

Bits for Sunday, February 8, 2009

Valentine’s Day has overtaken my house. I consider this a significant improvement over the days of yore when I all but protested the holiday with a sandwich sign. Today my kitchen table houses neatly stacked treats and cards, my kitchen contains the still-cooling round two of baking, my coffee table has cards ready to mail – addressed and in a rubber band, and there’s even an extra candy dish of M&M’s and Hershey Hugs, left over from the baking.

My parents are the proud recipients of a very beautiful (yet crispy) chocolate brownie decked out with hugs, kisses, and white chocolate drizzle. I’ll post a picture on my blog – because it was a bit of a magazine moment.

My nails are currently drying in a lovely shade of Red Hot, and the plans for the actual holiday include sparkling grape juice, chocolate covered strawberries, and a heart shaped pizza. Yes, I have come a long way from the days of wearing all black and staring at the Grow-A-Date.

If you didn’t know me in the Grow-A-Date years, allow me to explain. A friend gave him to me as a consolation one year. He’s a little red sponge man wearing boxer shorts and a bow tie, carrying a bouquet of carnations and a heart shaped box. His feet stick straight out sideways, and his hair resembles an unfortunately overgrown mop. You drop him in water and he “grows” – which really just looks like a bad case of bloating – moppy hair and all.

I’ve retired the Grow-A-Date and have decided to just enjoy the opportunity to give to others (and indulge in pizza and sparkling grape juice) despite the lack of an actual living date. However, in Grow-A-Date’s absence, I found another substitute, actually also given to me by the same friend. It’s a poster with a picture of a charming mannequin dressed in a suit, complete with a rose on his lapel. At the top, it says, “Man of My Dreams.”

Here are some of his best qualities:

Always knows just what to say: nothing.

You’ll never have to make his dinner, do his laundry or pick up his dirty socks.

He’ll never outgrow you intellectually.

He’s a good listener.

You won’t have to meet or impress his mother.

He can’t answer your phone or borrow your car.

He’ll never ask you if you’ve gained some weight.
And at the very bottom of the poster, it says:

He’s cute, he’s quiet. And if he ever feels the need for “space,” take him apart limb by limb and give him some.

Yes, it’s all true – some of it temptingly so – but he also doesn’t give very good advice, he can’t truly understand a bad hair day, and he doesn’t look very cuddly.

So I think I’ll just put Mr. “Man of My Dreams” in the same category with moppy-haired “Grow A Date.”

The last couple of years that I’ve determined to really enjoy Valentine’s Day and make it a day of celebrating other people and how much I appreciate them, I have found the day is not all that awful after all. So even if you aren’t a huge fan of the mush and ridiculousness that the day sometimes is, take it as an opportunity to love a friend – who might just need a hug. The real kind. Not the kind on my coffee table.

Leave the Menu Alone!!

You all know that change isn't my favorite thing in life, although I handle it now with considerable dignity compared to days of yore. Don't believe me? Ask my friend Lois. She'll tell you.

Anyway, until recent days when our Burger King got new management and went down the toilet faster than anything I've ever seen, it was my favorite place in life to eat and I went there often. I always ordered the same combo meal (whopper junior with cheese, minus onion) by number. One day I went in, ordered my number, and the lady hesitated, looked at me and said rather quietly, "Are you sure?" I glanced up at the menu. All the combos had been switched around, and I was about to order a triple whopper with cheese. God bless the lady who knew I didn't mean it!

But I've noticed lately that any business I call begins the automated answer with "Please listen carefully as our menu options have recently changed." Really? You've said that for the last six months. Can't you find an order you like?????

Whew...okay. I feel better now.

Life is Good...

...I had a day off work today. I was super-spoiled in December, between random days off for holiday preparation and then the time off for Christmas...working full time again had taken its toll on me! Today was the first day I felt I could afford time away from the office, so I scheduled my vacation day and loved every moment of it.

(Oh!! And I got the greatest card in the mail today - my first Valentine's Day card. Totally made my day. Thank you!!)

But even before today, I had a very fun weekend. A fun weekend of relaxing and hanging out with friends...and enjoying every moment of that, too!

Saturday night, my friend Olivia came over for hot chocolate, brownies, and a movie. We watched Sarah, Plain and Tall, which she had never seen. Great feel-good sort of movie. Here I am, all sacked out in the fat chair, with Braeya's favorite blanket. Ahhh....the good life.


The night before that, I drove to Alexandria with my friend Marie...who kindly put up with my need for a road trip so I could make my Vocal Band Reunion DVD purchases. We had dinner there and then the lady made (not even kidding) one of the top three best tasting caramel frappuccinos I'd ever had in my entire life. It was AMAZING.



And now that I've seen the DVD's approximately 1800 times (kidding) - here are my picks for the faves. From Volume 1 - well, I loved the old standby songs that make me cry every time I hear them: A Few Good Men and I Bowed on My Knees. And then there some great vintage ones that I'd never heard actually performed by the Vocal Band, because it was before my time. Your First Day in Heaven and No Other Name But Jesus. Steve Green knocked that one out of the park. And then of course - a couple of David-extraordinaire moments in He Touched Me and Let Freedom Ring. And on Volume 2 - two songs I was so glad they did because I'd not heard them in their entirety before: Dream On and I Walked Today Where Jesus Walks. There were some fun ones on this one: Temporary Home and Build An Ark (which, incidentally, scared me to death when it started playing while I was eating at the Gaither store. I was not quite expecting the interesting beginning sounds...) And then of course, more David joy in O Love That Will Not Let Me Go and The Love of God. And one of my favorites from Steve Green - Find Us Faithful. And for the first time ever on their DVD's - I actually stuck around for almost all the commentary between songs.

So if you happen to be driving beside me during the next month - you'll be likely to hear any one of these blasting from my car. :) And I won't even apologize 'cause I'm not sorry!

Bits for Sunday, February 1, 2009

Adventures in Bekahland would not be complete without a snow story. More specifically a driving in snow story. And so…

Allow me to begin by giving you some background information. First, I hate winter. Secondly, I’m not a stellar driver on icy/snowy roads. And finally…I live on a road that may see a plow once a season if said plow is bored. And you can imagine in the winter we’ve had…the plows have not been bored.

Part of the reason my road never sees a plow is because one end of the road is occupied by multiple apartments of college students, so there are about 18 cars crammed into that half a block. They park on both sides of the street and a regular car can barely squeeze between them. A plow would have no hope. Occasionally a kind hearted civilian with a plow on his pickup will drive through and push aside the snow on my end of the street – where the area is actually clear.

Wednesday morning, I awakened to fresh snow. From inside the house, it didn’t look like that much, so I opted to drive to work rather than walk. About 2 feet into my commute, I realized the snow was about 8 inches deep. And I was the first to traverse my block. I managed to get through and I arrived at work no worse for the wear. At lunchtime, I came home and found the road to be badly rutted. I fishtailed my way through the tunnel of messily parked cars, narrowly missing a couple of them, pulled into my driveway, and promptly got stuck. I spent the next hour, in my work clothes and shoes, digging my car out. While I did that, a car at one end of the block spun for 15 minutes before being pushed out by two occupants of a passing SUV, and a pickup truck got stuck not far from my house.

With my car dug out at last, I parked it and walked back to work. No way was I messing with this road until a plow arrived…or April. Thursday morning I peeked out to see if a plow had happened by. Not so much. So I walked to work again. On the way, I noticed the many cars that slid through the day before had packed down much of the snow, so I determined to drive back after lunch. As I carefully approached the end of the road, with hands firmly gripping ten and two, I realized the intersection was a mess.

The main road where I was about to go was clear. But in between my seat and clear was a big fat mess of slush and ruts. I stayed way back, waited for the way to clear from both directions, and gunned/slid my way out into the main road.

All afternoon I dreaded coming home, knowing I’d have to pull that stunt in reverse, and this time I’d have to watch out for haphazardly parked cars in my path. I considered leaving my car at work and walking home, but I decided to be a big girl and drive. I waited for “rush hour” to pass and headed for the car.

As I walked toward my car I called my parents. Got my Dad. I said, “I hate winter. I’ll get stuck. I just know it.” He said in that soothing Dad tone, “Now, honey, it’s not bad out. I’ve been out all day and I’ve not gotten stuck one time. You just have to go slow and be patient.”

Patience is NOT my virtue.

I got in my car, carefully made my way toward my road, veered cautiously off the lovely cleared road onto my rutted mess of a street and BOOM. Stuck. In front of my somewhat sideways and sliding car was a somewhat ill-parked car. Behind me was a string of traffic. And under me were spinning tires. I tried several times, but my car was not going ANYWHERE.

I waited for traffic to clear behind me (quite a wait) and put the car in reverse. I prayed for big time mercy and gunned it. The car cooperated and sped backwards into the main road. I drove around to find a clearer path home, located a semi-suitable one, and pulled safely into my driveway.

I’d only been home about 5 minutes when the phone rang. It was my Mom. She said, “Well, your Dad just called. The van is stuck.”

REALLY!

I said, “Did you ask him if he was being patient? Because I hear if you just go slow and are patient, you won’t get stuck….”

Just a Little Card

One of my friends will be leaving in a few days to go on a mission trip, and I wanted to give her a combo "happy travels" and "I'm praying for you because I know you hate flying" card.

So, after looking online, I found a card that looked something like this one - and I made my own version of it:


But I made the area under the airplane and the yellow triangle a pocket, and I wrote out verses on cards - one for every day she's gone.

I kind of liked it. It is en route to her now, so hopefully it arrives safe and sound...and before her departure date!