Good Grief

I watched the Bachelor after-show last night and by the end, I was yelling at the TV and beating the air with my fists. I just don't get it.

Here's my take on it, which could be totally off base. I still need to believe that he went into it with honorable intentions and that he did not do it just to get publicity and become a 15 minutes of fame star. I also still need to believe that he really did like (though I'll concede to no love) both Jenni and DeAnna. HOWEVER - I think pretty much everything else he said was an excuse. I think he wants to believe he WASN'T offering excuses, but he still did.

Before I get into what I thought about his speech, let me just say that my opinion of Jenni went up about 50 points for her behavior last night. I liked her before - it wasn't that I didn't. It was just that she seemed kind of giggly all the time. But the fact that she seemed genuinely hurt for DeAnna meant a lot to me. And the fact that when she offered Brad the hypothetical situation of dating just one of them - she offered up dating DeAnna - that was classy. And her dress was cute - but WAY short. When she reached up to hug him, I got a little worried there for a minute.

Now to poor DeAnna. I thought she handled the situation with a whole lot more grace than I would have. I appreciated that she did not hide her anger, because I thought it was more than justified. I felt sorry for her because you could tell they still had that chemistry and they both knew each other well enough to have this totally personal argument in front of so many...and still he let her walk away. I hope she sticks to her statement of that being his last chance.

Brad, Brad, Brad. You lost two really great girls - and one that might have been absolutely perfect for you. YOU ASKED FOR HER DAD TO BE FLOWN TO THE SHOW - HELLO!!!! YOU DO LIKE HER! She doesn't deserve better than you. She deserves a chance to see what she could have WITH you - and you deserve the same with her.

I could NOT believe what he said to DeAnna at the end about how she'd never know how much he would miss her.

So that is my take. Just a hearty "Good Grief."

Nice save on the part of the show for bringing back Ryan, Trista, and cute baby Max to save the day.

Definitely Didn't See That One Coming

I will be the first to admit I'm the girl that never figures out the ending of the movie ahead of time. I'm the girl who actually has to watch until the very end of the crime shows to figure out whodunnit. So with such a record, it really shouldn't shock me that I didn't figure out how the Bachelor was going to end...but I really didn't expect that one.

I know they said it was going to be "the most shocking rose ceremony yet," but aren't they all? I thought he was going to send the first girl away, then send the second girl away and get the first girl back. But I knew by the time he told DeAnna no...there wasn't enough time left before the show ended to get anybody back.

Brad's still my favorite Bachelor - and if he really wasn't in love, then good for him for not proposing just for show. But seriously - he couldn't have kept just one of them to see where it went??? Just to date?? I don't get it.

Bits for Sunday, November 18, 2007

I spent a good portion of my weekend finishing the scrapbook of my baby pictures. I wanted it to be done in time to take it to the family Thanksgiving dinner so I could get the journaling of others included in it. So my fingers are covered in ink and my table is covered in paper scraps, but I successfully made it to a year old.

Last week I gave you a break from the big list of 25 for 2007, but this week my life consisted of stories at work that I do not care to relive, much dealing with leaves in my yard, much working out, and much scrapbooking, so I guess I’m back to the list for writing material.

The fourth area I worked on this year was the area of stewardship. I grew up hearing about stewardship in connection with money – and it is about money. But it’s also about more than just the green stuff. It’s about whatever you have. Luke 12:48 says “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” I began to realize that I’d been entrusted with some things that could stand a little bit more attention from me. So here were my commitments for the things God has given to me.

1. Save monthly. Mom and Dad raised me to understand the value of a savings account, and I appreciate that. But as I sit at my desk every day and pilfer through the files at hand, I listen to Money Matters by Crown Ministries, and I have learned that I have some improving to do in the world of money. It was becoming a little too easy for me to slip some extra into the “spending” part of my paycheck world and not quite as much into the “saving” part of my paycheck world. So I made a goal to save every single month – even if it meant less Hobby Lobby money.

The verdict? It’s been a good discipline for me. I’ve achieved it every month – and the months when money was tight, something extra always came in so I could meet this commitment.

2. Do weekly housecleaning. I also grew up in a home where weekly housecleaning was taught by example – and I learned early how to do my part to pitch in. I usually pitched a fit about it, but I pitched in anyway. I see the wisdom in it now – four year olds are much closer to the floor, so dusting baseboards is really a perfect task for them. But even though I was raised to clean well and clean often, I was slipping in this chore in my own home. My housecleaning became the victim of my “too busy” schedule and if I had to let anything slide, this was cut from the plans. God was nice enough to provide me with a place to live – the least I can do is honor Him by taking care of it – clear down to dusting end tables and scrubbing toilets.

The verdict? This one is still tough – still the one I want to cut corners on each week. But I find it much less of a hassle to clean when I do it on a regular basis.

3. Tune up the car. I am such a girl when it comes to cars. Only recently has my knowledge of them surpassed the level of color identification. But while I’m very dedicated about putting gas in my car (only had to run out once to learn that one!) and getting my oil changed, I hadn’t done a great job of checking up on the rest of my car’s health. My car has been good to me – a reliable little critter – and I decided this was the year to pamper it. Early in the year (thanks to an annoying puncture wound) I wound up replacing the tires, and just a few weeks ago, I sent it to the shop for a little checkup.

The verdict? I’m still such a girl about cars, but I feel good knowing my little car has been given the thumbs up for car health.

4. Work on yard improvement. I’m very fond of working in the kitchen. I’m quite happy when painting and decorating the rooms. I’m not so thrilled about outdoor work. But there’s no reason why I can’t get out the door and do what I can to make the house look presentable from the outside. So this year I got my hands dirty and put in some edger stone in the backyard, worked hard to stay up with the mowing and trimming, and more recently, I dedicated my time to leaf cleanup (a maddening task made much simpler by the new leaf blower/vacuum my Dad bought me).

The verdict? There were weeks when knowing I had to report on this task was the only thing that got me out the door and in the yard. But I’m very happy with the way the yard looks – though I don’t quite keep up with the landscaping neighbors.

5. Get new carpet for the stairs. Oh the carpet on the stairs. It is the color of an interesting diaper deposit (sorry, Dad) and is older than any carpet still in use should be. Last year I went through a rather extensive overhaul of the stairway room – and this was the one final step that I never completed. I don’t want to enter 2008 with that project still unfinished – or rather I’m just anxious to do the scrapbook page with the before and after pictures. So this week I went to the store and scheduled an appointment for the carpet boys to come and measure – and I am finishing the redecorating project.

The verdict? I’m excited to see something neutral instead of the olive color that was great in its day – but its day has long gone. The only thing that makes me sad is that I know no matter how great the carpet is that I get, the lasting power will never match whatever power they put into this carpet!

Only one more area to share with you – that will be next week!

To Be Responsible or to Have Fun

I think it's entirely possible that the week went flying by without me. How'd that happen?

One good thing about it is that work has been so insanely busy that at least the work hours move quickly. Too quickly. Can't get everything done. Our students are trying to register for classes, which means if they need help paying a bill, they need our office. I haven't had anyone cry on me yet - but I imagine it's not far. I need to put a new box of Puffs on my shopping list.

And after work...well...it's the weighing of the "do I have fun tonight or do I do chores?" I've tried to have a good balance of each. Take out the trash...and go to Bible study. Stay after to work late...and go to a ball game. Run to my favorite place on earth for things I need to buy...and watch TV. Work out...and work on the yard. Switch the clothing seasons and do laundry...and assemble Christmas cards.

It's no small wonder that at 2 this morning, I was still tossing in bed (trying valiantly not to disturb the carefree kitties snoozing away beside me) with a racing mind. Thankfully today is Friday, which means extra sleep can be mine this weekend...unless I decide to work on the leaves...and clean the house...and...and....

Good Job, Brad

I know I've admitted on here before that I like to watch The Bachelor. I gave it up a few seasons ago because I got sick of the stupidity. But I wandered back to watching it...and I just have to say that this season has my favorite bachelor.

Yeah, yeah he's good looking. But most seasons, once you got past the looks, you were done. Kudos to Brad for having good sense as well. Tonight when I watched him take the tough questions from the women he sent home, I thought he gave them genuine and meaningful answers - not just beat-around-the-bush quips to save face. I like that.

I am torn on which woman he'll pick. I think either of them would be good for him; it just boils down to what he is looking for most in a life plan. But regardless of how it ends, I'm glad for a season that included real conversation and not just hot tub parties. Good job, Brad.

Bits for Sunday, November 11, 2007

This week I’m taking a break from “list-reporting.” You were probably ready for a break two weeks ago, and I actually had something writing-worthy happen, so for those two reasons, I take a temporary leave from my lists to bring you the following breaking news from Bekah-land.

I went Christmas shopping.

Okay, I promise there’s a little bit more to it than that. Yesterday my Mom and I went on our annual Christmas shopping extravaganza. Normally we go in December when the sales are roaring, the Christmas music plays in the malls, and I am in desperate need of a day off work. This year we went on a Saturday to preserve my vacation days, we played our own Christmas music in the car (I do a rather interesting impersonation of Russ Taff singing “What A Wonderful World,” by the way), and we found sales even before Thanksgiving.

But along the way I made the following observations about holiday shopping, so I thought I would share them with you.

* You should always take a stroller. Not for a baby. For packages. I had quite seriously contemplated calling up some random parent-friend of mine to see if I could borrow the big old travel system for the day, but given that we were shopping on a Saturday, I figured the stroller-owning parents might actually be using their strollers. But I’ve noticed that in the mall, the moms carry the babies and push the presents. It’s ingenious, really. A place to stash the stuff, and cup holders on the side!

* Parking may be the riskiest business of the day. Mom and I had to park a couple of states away from the mall, and halfway through our shopping, we had to trek back to the car for a deposit of the back-breaking sacks. Mom decided to change shoes while we were out there, so I spread my papers out on the trunk, alongside my calculator, to see how I was doing on the old budget and how much more shopping I needed to do for each person. This poor guy parked his truck a few feet away, thinking we were about to leave. He finally got the drift that we were just gearing up for round two and he drove away. As we hiked back into the mall, we nearly saw a four car pileup in aisle six as someone tried to pass someone else (hello, it’s a PARKING LOT, not a FREEWAY) and then another car backed out at the same time. I thought we were all goners. All for the love of a close parking space.

* Never wear rings. When Mom and I were on our way to the car for that mid-shopping deposit, she kept saying to me, “I have a free hand, do you want me to carry a bag for you?” I kept saying “No, my hands won’t move!” As soon as I dumped the bags into the trunk, my still-curled-up fingers resembled candy canes and were so swollen that I don’t think I was in any danger of losing a ring. Usually I forego the jewelry altogether on a shopping trip, but I forgot this time.

* The receipt trail is longer than Santa’s naughty/nice list. Mom and I were in line at Penney’s when the receipt started printing out…and kept going…and kept going…and kept going. Mind you, I had only purchased two things. The receipts could serve as gift wrap for them both. And this is what I’ve learned about holiday shopping. One printout was my notice that if I shop online from now through the end of the month and spend over $49, I can get free shipping. The next one was my actual receipt. The first three inches of it were the logo/address. The next three inches were the actual receipt part. Then there was the message about taking an online survey to receive 15% off my next purchase. Then there was the notice of how I paid…followed by my associate’s number, followed by my holiday portrait offer, followed by the exchange policy, followed by their website information, followed by a bar code. THEN I received the two gift receipts – each printed separately for my gifting convenience. While the lady was gathering and folding my receipt, Mom and I were blessed to hear the story of the man at the next register. He had purchased queen size cream colored sheets, but the pillowcases were too short for his king size pillows, so he bought the pillowcases separately but when he washed it all, the sheets faded to white and now they don’t match the pillowcase and could he just make an even exchange for this sheet set? The lady asked him if he had a receipt. He said no. She did the exchange anyway. SO WHY AM I ACCEPTING SIX FEET OF RECEIPT TAPE???? DOES IT EVEN MATTER? When I came home, I counted fifteen receipts, eight gift receipts, and six supplemental advertisement receipts, which leads me to my next point…

* The after-shopping takes longer than the shopping. If I were to take advantage of all possible offers thrown my way yesterday, then my future holds a busy schedule. I need to drive back to Borders next weekend, spend $10 or more, and get something 30% off (minus anything in the 2 ½ inch list of exceptions). After that I can spend two consecutive nights at a Country Inn and Suites and get a $15 gift card. I can order a delicious turkey feast at Target for just $59.99. Of course don’t forget about the aforementioned free shipping from Penney’s as well as the survey/15% off offer from them. I can go to Kohls online and offer my feedback on a survey – FOR NOTHING. I don’t think so. I can drive back to Kirkland’s (a great store) next weekend for 20% off a single Christmas item. Dicks Sporting Goods offered me $10 off my next purchase of $50 if I rushed home and completed an online survey. For shopping at Sears, I can take a survey and perhaps win a $4000 gift card. I can also “por favor tomate el tiempo para proporcionaros tu informacion y participa…” oh wait. I think that is the same thing. Unfortunately I have dial up internet, so I’d still be completing these surveys at Easter.

* And finally – watch that weight. On the way home, Mom and I stopped for fast food. By this time, my back was breaking from all the carrying of sacks, my feet were screaming, since I dressed for looks over comfort and didn’t wear my best shoes. We’d been gone for almost 12 hours and were getting a little loopy. We stood in line for our burgers at an establishment run by the twin sisters of Frick and Frack of the Wal Mart photo booth. We waited a while before they took our order, and when Frick (or was it Frack?) came over to the register, she said to my Mom, “I’m sorry about your wait.” I rolled my eyes. This woman could have made two and a half of my mother. I wanted to say “Really? Cause I’m not half as sorry about her weight as I am about yours.” Someone please tell these customer service people not to say that!

But all in all – a successful day was had by both of us. And I would tell you more, but I have some surveys to complete.

For Blogger Deb's Mom...

Blogger Deb's Mom taught one of my English classes in college. Knowing that she occasionally stops by always makes me nervous that something I write will end up on the "don't do this" example sheet in her classroom. While I do my very best to make sure my posts follow the rules of the English language, I like for this space to be somewhat casual. I try not to go too crazy with the proofreading.

Last night I was watching TV and saw a commercial for some random prescription medication that everyone should discuss with a doctor. The chipmunk-sounding list of disclaimers at the end included this phrase: "Patients taking aspirin and the elderly should not use this medication." I called my father (a wording guru) and told him he might want to avoid taking aspirin and the elderly at the same time. :)

(At this time you're free to guess how many times I've read this post to hunt for errors...and I just know I've missed something.)

Making the Plan

Mom and I are going Christmas shopping this weekend. I'm stressing (not bad, but a little) because I am not sure when I'm going to formulate "the plan" prior to that trip. Last week when I hid from trick or treaters, I pulled out the budget and made the list of people to buy for and divided up the money appropriately. So I know WHO to buy for and HOW MUCH to spend on them and I have LISTS from most of them...and that's where I'm stuck.

Worst case scenario - I'll ask Mom to drive so I can spread out all the papers in the car and make the plan on the way to shopping. But I'd really like to have it done before then. I don't like to go into these trips and find whatever I find. I want to go after certain purchases and find the best possible deal. That is my goal.

I'm probably too OCD about the shopping trip just like I OCD about every other aspect of this holiday. But I like to have just the perfect gift for everyone. And I like to have 90% of them purchased in one trip flat. Shoot - I might even have everything wrapped before I put up the tree. (Or then again - maybe not. Why be overly ambitious?)

All of this has stemmed from the year I failed to shop for ANYONE until Christmas Eve. Dad was my chauffeur and Mom ran around behind me telling me who was still on the list. They made me promise to NEVER pull that stunt again.

Think I've successfully transformed?

Bits for Sunday, November 4, 2007

Ahh…the world is right again…all the time zones back in their proper places. What a great weekend!

It’s probably a good reminder for me to share the third/fifth of my list this week, because I didn’t have much enthusiasm in this department this week. But it’s too far into the year to give up now, so maybe explaining it to all of you will motivate me to stay on track.

My third area of commitment this year was the area of ministry. Last spring I spoke at a one-day women’s retreat for some of the ladies at my parents’ church, and the key verse for the day was the one that hovered over this area this year. 2 Timothy 1:6 says “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” That day we talked about how each of us has different gifts and how we’re expected to use what we’ve been given, rather than doing what comes more naturally: sitting around wishing we had the same gifts as our neighbors.

Using our own gifts can be scary because the things we’re really good at are often the things we’re most passionate about…and that can bring about a big dose of vulnerability. It’s scary to think about opening up your soul and having people laugh at you – or shrug their shoulders and roll their eyes. But regardless of the reaction, we’re supposed to fan those gifts into flame, so here were my specific covenants to do so this year.

1. Finish writing and seek publication of Advent project. Last year, during December, I started writing about Advent and lives that had been changed after encountering Jesus in the flesh. Though I write all the time, I decided it was time to at least attempt to take something I’d written and move it out of the confines of the journals only I see. This year I picked up that project (I’d somewhat abandoned it as the holidays closed in last year and I became busy) and finished it. I’m in the process of trying to find a way to publish it. That’s a very uncomfortable adventure for me, but I’m forcing myself to stick with it and keep trying until the right door opens.

And even though I’m done with the Advent book (minus the ever-elusive title) – I’ve also started making a small group study out of it. That’s pushing me back into my own words and causing me to learn even more from the study of a year ago.

The verdict? I guess I’ll keep trying until I’m successful – and I have plans for the next ten years to write more book-length works.

2. Habitually (weekly if possible) meet with Olivia. Olivia goes to my church, and probably four years ago, we started meeting for coffee one night a week. We’ve done some Bible studies, we’ve done nights of just girl talk, we’ve gone out for breakfast, we’ve had scrapping days…we’ve had fun. It’s exciting to me to see Olivia run after God’s plan for her, and I’m so thankful for all that I have learned from her.

I noticed last year that I was slipping into a habit of postponing our meeting a day here or a week there because I’d allowed my schedule to become too crowded. So this year, I made the commitment to be available every week if I possibly could. This semester we’ve had to get a little creative and meet before work for breakfast because it is the only time we’re both available at the same time. And though you know me and mornings, I love those mornings. I love spending those minutes with her and just knowing that we’re both learning and growing.

The verdict? As long as she’ll put up with me…or for as long as we live close enough to do so…I would love to continue this tradition. And when the time comes for our meeting together to end, I would love to start up with someone else.

3. Finish spring Bible study with enthusiasm and pray about fall. For the last five years, I taught the Ladies Bible Study at my church, and I noticed that I worked hard to prepare in the September-December months, but from January-May, I started to lose steam. I determined this year I would study hard and do my best even at the end of the season.

At the same time, I started to feel that God was pulling me away from this group. I love these ladies and could not imagine not preparing and teaching each week. But God confirmed to me that it was time to step down – so I did. I’m not 100% sure of all the reasons, but for now I know that releasing that duty has given me more time to write, and it’s allowed me to be involved in a short-term Bible study that I desperately needed right now. So I know it was a good thing.

The verdict? I’d love to lead a small group again…guess I’ll wait on God to say!

4. Entertain once a month. I inherited the hospitality bug from my Mom, and it’s something I really love to do. I love inviting people over for dinner or a game night (well, depending on the games…) or a movie night. But I noticed last year that I did a really lousy job of actually picking up the phone and making the invitation. So this year I made a commitment to have people over at least once a month. Sometimes it’s a full meal, sometimes it’s just snacks, but it’s always a chance to hang out with good friends and have fun.

The verdict? I am hopeful that in the future I will keep up the good habit of inviting people over, even though it won’t be a specific commitment anymore.

5. Do something purposefully encouraging to someone once a week. I realize it’s a little ridiculous to have to make this a priority. But I would think of things to do for someone – a card, a flower, a batch of cookies – and the thought was the end of it. I needed to push myself to actually do it. So every week I’m on the lookout for a little something fun I can do to cheer up someone’s week. The things don’t always take a lot of time or cost much money, but I love seeing (or hearing about) the reactions when the little gifts are discovered.

The verdict? I have something similar to this planned for next year, with a slight twist to it.

Ministries don’t have to be flagrant to be important. Don’t be afraid to use whatever has been ingrained in your heart. God gave it to you for a reason, and He wants you to use it!

We Survived!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a beautiful message up there on the DST ticker - "Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight!" Don't you worry, baby. Don't have to tell me twice.

I celebrated my last day of this ridiculousness by sleeping in until 11. I intended to get up at 9, but it was a rough night, thanks to this stupid cough. Since my list of chores today didn't have any particular time attached, I decided to not stress out about being up at 9 and went back to sleep.

Today was very busy. Starting next weekend, the holiday rush begins, so I enjoyed this one last uninterrupted Saturday to do chores around the house. I used my new toy (thank you Mom and Dad!) of a leaf blower/vac to work on my yard. Best invention EVER. I planted the mum I won at the church dinner a couple of weeks ago. I cleaned out the fridge (nasty job) and took out the trash promptly afterwards. I bought new workout shoes, as my old ones have many miles on them and are starting to get thin on the bottom. I stopped by the bookstore sale and had my free cup of coffee and used my coupon on a new book. Oh - and I enjoyed probably my last exercise outside until spring. It was too beautiful a day to let that pass.

So now I've just had my little dinner and I'm about to clean the house and CHANGE THE CLOCKS!

This is the best weekend EVER.

Ick to Sick

So this is week two of being sick and I'm so over it. Too bad I can't actually be OVER it.

Fortunately, so far I've not had to miss work. I thought about it yesterday because I had this annoying cough that even I was sick of hearing, so I could only imagine how everyone else felt. But unfortunately, I can work with a cough. I wasn't throwing up, so I reported for duty. Had I known our system wasn't going to report for duty for more than five minutes at a time, I might have rethought that coming to work thing. Also unfortunately, I was raised under the teaching that if you're too sick to go to school/work, you're too sick to do anything else after hours, and I had to grocery shop last night. I was completely out of food that didn't require significant hours of preparation. So in the interest of shopping, I came to work.

Never fear though - the weekend is upon me. Surely that will get me at least an hour's rest. (Sometime after I work on the yard, probably.) And if all else fails....at least I get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday! WOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Catching Up on the Tornado

It has been a while since I posted a Kansas update, so today I went crazy and you'll find several posts below showing some updates from the land of great wind.

Sunday marks six months since the tornado hit, and although I'm sure it still feels like a massive task ahead to those in the middle of it, so much has been done in these six months! You'll see in the pictures below that new buildings are in progress and temporary housing is in place and functioning.

Just as a note...this month's issue of Guideposts magazine has an article about another minister in Greensburg. Not my brother-in-law, but one of his friends. I think he is/was the Methodist pastor. I've not seen the magazine yet, but Lori said to be sure and look at it!
Secondly - tomorrow night (Halloween night) - the Discovery Channel's Storm Chasers episode is supposed to be about the Greensburg tornado. It's an hour long program that runs from 10-11. I was on the Discovery channel website today and saw that if you miss it, you can catch up with it at 2 a.m. the next night or a few other times in the coming days. I'm not sure what all it will entail, but I know it will be on.

And speaking of the Discovery channel - they're preparing a documentary series which I think has 13 segments - about the rebuilding of Greensburg. My brother-in-law had an interview with somebody about that. Don't know if it was a footage interview or just facts that will be relayed. I haven't been able to find anything out about when it will air - probably not for a while. But it's out there in the future.

And to start your little photo tour of the post-tornado Greensburg....a rosebush from in front of the Mennonite church. It came back to life!

The Old Has Gone

Here's what is left of their old house. Once it was determined that the basement would not be reused, they tore out the walls and now it's just a hole in the ground.

And the New Has Come!

TA DAAAAAA!!! The new house! What...you don't see it? :)

Just kidding. But this is the future home of...the future home. In case you didn't know/didn't remember, they will not be living in the same location they were before the tornado.

Every good Kansas home has a basement! This we learned! Here's Lori with her brand new basement.


And after the basement floor, of course, comes the addition of the basement walls as seen here.

And then the floor joists - or as they called them in that one conversation Lori heard, "floor joyces."

Here's Jeff holding some Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). They're apparently the latest and greatest in "building green." I'm sure Leonardo DiCaprio will have something to say about that.

FEMA-ville

There are lots (I forget the exact number, so we'll go with the ever popular "lots") of FEMA trailers in Greensburg. Lori calls it FEMA-ville. Here's a glimpse:

GPS - But Not the Thing that Finds You

Greensburg Portable School!

The school "complex" is located in twenty some trailers/portables/whatever you want to call them. THis is one of the elementary school trailers.


The dark trailers in the back are for the high school. The large building on the right is the practice gym. Official games are held in a nearby town in a school that is no longer used. (Right, Lori?)

Town Sights

I promise...you're almost done!

When Lori said their hospital resembled the M*A*S*H unit....she wasn't kidding! This is the current hospital in Greensburg.

This is the John Deere dealership. As you may remember from previous posts/pictures, many of the pieces of equipment were "resituated" on the lot - one ended up in a pond!

And every town needs a convenience store! This is the Kwik Shop. Fairly soon after the tornado, it operated out of a semi trailer. It has upgraded to a real building now.

Sunday Afternoon Naps

After I took my nap yesterday afternoon (on the couch during a Lifetime movie), I discovered I'm not the only one who enjoys a good nap on Sunday!


Kaegan had claimed my bed, which was (embarrassingly) unmade. I never skip making the bed, but my decision to go to Sunday School was last minute (due to not feeling well), and this just didn't get done. He didn't seem to mind, though.

Braeya had claimed the guest room bed. She was NOT happy to be awakened by my photo shoot. Wonder who she gets THAT from? ;)

The Weekend in Pictures

Saturday I went to the wedding of one of our former student workers, Stephanie, and her amazing now-husband, Nick. I l-o-v-e-d their wedding. The ceremony was incredibly personal and told so much of the story of their love and who they are as individuals and as a couple. It reminded me very much of what I hope to someday have in my own wedding.

The reception was super fancy. I had to cheat off my neighbor to know the right fork to use. But her table decorations were SO CUTE!!! She always wanted a fall wedding, and she sure had one! The pumpkins told us our table numbers, and the little mini pumpkins at each place had the menus tied to them.

I am not sure that most of you know (because why would this be a normal writing topic?) that I have an INSANE phobia of public restrooms. I'm the laughing stock of my office because if I go down the hall to the bathroom and there's someone else in there, I have to come back to the office until the person/people leave and then I return. In addition, I refuse to use port-a-potties and random "community bathrooms" scare me.

SO...it was a huge deal that I agreed to use this "community bathroom" in Brown County. Unfortunately, it absolutely REEKED. Every time I went in, I tried to hold my breath, because every accidental whiff made me sick to my stomach.


Now THIS is my kinda store!!!

At last - the road rage picture. I have enlarged it some (keep in mind we were at the opposite end of the block by the time I took this) but it's still a little far away. The lady in red to the left of the car is totally cussing out the driver. You can see the two walking people in the middle of the street staring - there were more gawkers, but they aren't in this shot.

Bits for Sunday, October 28, 2007

Happy day before Hermit Day! Just glancing at my calendar, I see that tomorrow is Hermit Day. Don’t know what that means, but I can assure you that as I face an early alarm tomorrow after a week of vacation, I think it’s a day I just might need to observe!

The week of vacation gave me extra time to think – extra extra time since I was sick four of the five days I had off work! I realized the end of the year is rapidly approaching, and there are still a few of my covenants (the one-time sorts of commitments) that I still need to complete before the end of the year. Time to kick it into gear.

So to push me into action, here’s the second fifth of my commitments for the year – the area that was probably the most challenging of all.

Area Two: My Temple – My theme verse for this area was “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own…” 1 Corinthians 6:19. I always read that verse in a rather exasperated tone – as though Paul was saying “Hello! Get with the program, you idiot!” Thankfully, I think Paul was much nicer than that, and I think the tone was much more pleading and merciful – “Don’t you know? If not, let me be the one to tell you what a treasure you have…”

2007 became my year to wake up and realize that this body I have is something I only get one time. If I didn’t start taking a little bit better care of it – I could be in big trouble later. And if I couldn’t find it within me to take good care of it for my own sake, then I needed to do it for the sake of the Holy Spirit. So here were my commitments regarding the temple.

1. Exercise five days a week. What a shock to my poor body that had only seen about five days of exercise in life prior to this year. I have been a textbook case of resolving to exercise, doing well for a week, and then giving up. I tried my very best to think of all the reasons why I quit so I could be prepared to combat them. My commitment was to spend anywhere from ½ hour to 1 hour each time that I exercised, and I’m excited to say that so far, I’ve kept this commitment each week. I’ve done Tae Bo (a comical event, should any of you ever need a good laugh), I’ve walked (giving me a comical tan line at the ankle), I’ve worked out on the elliptical machine I invested in earlier in the year (unloading it piece by piece from my trunk was a comical workout in and of itself) and more recently, I’ve added one day a week at the gym, sweatin’ with the skinnies. While I worried that this was too ambitious a commitment, it’s worked out well. I take a day of rest from it every Sunday and then I’m allowed one other day a week to be too busy, too lazy, or too tired. Other than that – no excuses. Not even my spur of the moment trip to Kansas after the tornado or my week of sickness kept me off the schedule!

The verdict? I think this has sufficiently become a habit for me. It’s not going on next year’s list, but I don’t have any intentions of giving up in this department.

2. When offered food choices, choose the better choice. I hate diets. They don’t work for me, because I’m not willing to stay committed to them for life. So my goal was to employ the general principles I learned from Gwen Shamblin’s “Weigh Down” book that I read a few years ago. Everything is permissible…but exercise moderation. I tried to stop eating like six construction workers and start eating like a lady. I didn’t give up the things I loved, but I tried to have smaller portions or healthier versions. You’ll still find me in line for fru-fru coffee drinks, but you’ll find me ordering them with skim milk and sugar free whipped cream. I still love my bread – but I try to eat wheat now more than white. Four cookies instead of six. Cheerios instead of a bag of M&Ms. It’s worked well. Not a quick melt-away-the-pounds eating plan, but definitely one that keeps me from chewing on pens in between meals.

The verdict? Like the exercise, I think this one is an ingrained habit now. I don’t need to keep it on the list, but I plan to keep practicing it anyway.

3. No pop. Hands down, the hardest one on my entire list of twenty-five. They don’t make a patch to get you through carbonated beverage withdrawal. For a couple of years, I’ve given up pop for Lent, and for this year I did it simply because I wanted to do one thing out of the whole twenty five that represented a genuine “this might kill me” sacrifice. And for me, that sacrifice was the self-denial of pop. Going from drinking a 32 ounce full fledged (no diet, no caffeine free, no sugar free business) Coke every day to drinking water and iced tea every day – that was big. And try as I might to convince myself it was just a long Lent, 365 days is a far cry from 40 days. One time I even dreamed that I messed up and had a small glass of Coke. Boy was I relieved to wake up from that!

The verdict? Unsure. I don’t know if it’s best for me to keep this one or if I’m strong enough to just have a little taste now and then without falling back into the pop-drinking pit. I’m going to have to think on this for a while.

4. Find and apply verses of physical worth in God’s eyes. It’s hard to be a girl sometimes. Especially on the days of sweatin’ with the skinnies. It’s hard to look in the mirror and not immediately gravitate toward everything you hate, even if what you hate is something that no one else even notices. And I know I’m not alone in those thoughts. You’ve had them, even if you don’t want to admit it. So this year, I bought a little spiral bound set of index cards and every time I ran across verses that talked about how God views me, I wrote those verses on the cards. And then on the days when I feel like running around with a paper bag over my head, I carry those verses with me and I read them over and over to remind myself that no matter what I see or what the looks or words of others say that they see, it’s what God sees that’s important.

The verdict? I’ll probably turn it into a writing project.

5. Floss daily. You can stop laughing now. I know it’s a bit of a ridiculous thing to put on a covenant list. But you do not understand. My teeth are so close together, flossing requires not only the floss, but a hammer as well. It’s quite exhausting. I’ve never liked to floss and I’ve been sitting through the dentist’s lectures twice a year about how I need to do it or I’ll be sorry. Finally she flung at me the dreaded phrase of “gum disease” and told me I was in the beginning stages of it – and if I truly didn’t start flossing, I’d be losing my teeth eventually. I happen to like my teeth – and I’d really like to keep them for a good long time. So I broke down, bought some floss, and started flossing every single day.

The verdict? After a glowing report at the last dentist visit, I’ve decided to keep up this practice for the sake of the pearly whites.

I would say that of all five areas, this one has given me the greatest sense of accomplishment, because it was the biggest area of overhaul, and required the most lifestyle change. I wasn’t sure I could make it – but so far, I have!