Fabulous Fifty

I've Moved

2007-01-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

Please update your bookmarks and change your links if you have linked to my blog. I've moved:

Fabulous Fifty

Blogger has been nudging me to update my blogger version but my browser is not usable with the new version. Its a catch-all problem. They need me to upgrade to the newest version so they can dump the old one. My newest browser isn't supported in the dashboard.

So, I'm jumping off blogger and using my own domain. :D

Join me!

And please update your bookmarks and your links to me.

http://www.fabulousfifty.com

Thanks!

Crash the Superbowl - Doritos

2007-01-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

The superbowl holds a bit of fun for everyone. If my team isn't playing in the game, my next best thing to watch are the commercials. Premium spots costing big bucks to the sponsors. Funny ideas, great notions.

Since my daughter works for the largest salty snack company in the world and because a superbowl commercial contest by the big salty snack company has been all the buzz around here, take a peek at this one. They started with hundreds of entries. They had online voting to narrow the field. Now there are five entries left in the finals. The one above is my favorite, not only in concept but in the "rest of their story". It cost all of $12.00 to produce (the cost of the bags of chips).

Just another few days to vote! Click here to see all the videos. The finalists are available on the main page.

Watch the superbowl to see who wins!

Trip Down Memory Lane

2007-01-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today I had a fun adventure. I was contacted by a familiar name from classmates.com. Now under normal circumstances a person would have an easy time remembering. But I'm not normal.

I attended three different high schools. With a dad in the Air Force, I attended the high school for "base" kids during my freshman year, the off base school during my sophomore year when dad was in Vietnam, and then we moved to Texas where I spent my last two years. I graduated and my parents moved again. Remind me of a name and I can remember faces and events but I have trouble figuring out which high school was the connector.

I pulled out my sophomore yearbook to browse the pages. I read through the autographs and photos, allowing them to provide clues to a dim memory of good stuff. I found this guy's autograph and his message to me. Apparently he thought I was a cute gal. [grin]

And while I vaguely remember this young man (well, he's no longer young as I'm no longer young), he has memories that I don't recall. People's names I don't remember. Even looking up their faces in the yearbook, my memory is still not jogged to recollection.

And although its a bit alarming as I wonder if it's a case of mistaken identity, I've enjoyed my trip down memory lane. The people I do recall. The faces. The activities. The friends who shaped me all contained within the weird yearbook littered with odd art that was considered atrocious even in the 70's.

What a decade: the 70's!

My Choices for Being Typical

2007-01-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Recently I was accused of being a "typical conservative" because I drive a Honda Pilot SUV.

The accusation was suggesting that if I cared about the environment, I would not drive what this person called a "gas guzzler".

Since when is a person under attack because of their choice of transportation?

I am very amused by the notion.

Can you tell what kind of political/world views a person holds by the car they drive? The house they live in? The kind of dogs they have?

I don't think so.... which is why this amuses me so much.

My neighbor is an attorney who votes the exact opposite of me in all elections according to the signs in their yard around election time. They have a Honda Pilot SUV, too. My dad, who is a retired Air Force officer, votes in every election in support of our nation's military and defense (read: ultra conservative). He drives a Toyota Prius Hybrid.

Behind it all is an even much deeper, more profound thought. I guess the idea of choices for folks like this is only allowable when it is in regards to babies in the womb and doesn't apply to car choices.

When this person argued: "What would Jesus do?" I grinned.

The answer is simple.

The pharisees had added new rules to the laws of Israel. Twisting what is allowed and not allowed. One day, trying to trick Jesus, one pharisee asked Jesus:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

There it is.

Jesus would say: It matters not what a person drives. What is the most important thing? Love God. Love people.

And this is what I pray I can do and is my choice. Because I'm learning that if I do nothing else in this life except to do both of these things, my life will be an awesome journey.

Awesome Women

2007-01-06T16:52:00.000-08:00

I had lunch today with eight brilliant, lovely, women. We sat in a Chinese restaurant and ate from a yummy buffet and enjoyed each other's company. We laughed and swapped stories.

We heard about one trip to Las Vegas with lavish shows, awesome malls, and family love. We listened to the plans of an upcoming wedding from a groom's mom. We heard about a house on the market and an impending move. We heard about a child in need of a new start for a school.

We heard about the testing and treatments options for a terrible illness for one of our group. We listened to her praise our God for his goodness in her life, the peace He has provided in the midst of much medical uncertainty. And yet with God, there is no uncertainty. His truth is real. His peace is real. His love is real.

We plotted and planned future get-togethers and activities to share together.

I love these women. And I love the God who binds us together.

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Summer Gal in Winter

2007-01-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

I'm a misplaced seasonal gal.

I love the end of spring, the entire summer and the beginning of autumn.

I love the warmth of the sun and the bright sunny skies that accompany the heat.

And when the cold winds blow through north Texas, I learn to cope.

I wear fuzzy slippers and socks around the house. I wear layers of shirts, sweaters with an tank under it all. I have been known to get dressed and then put my robe on top. I gravitate towards hot soup for meals. I move chairs to sit in sun puddles if they stream through a window. I keep my leather heated seats in my car on "high". I surround myself with warm, spring colors.

I must force myself out the door to walk in the cooler temps but when its 94 degrees at 9 pm at night, I don't mind so much.

And even now, in Texas where the temperatures have been mild, I'm longing for spring. Blooming flowers. Green leaves. Sunny skies. Warmth.

May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds. Psalm 72:17-18

The Old is New!

2007-01-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Today I traded in the rental Corolla (whew!) for my three year old leather heated seats on wheels.(yay!)

My car is sitting in the driveway, looking rather spiffy. She is all cleaned up with shiny wheels, brand new pin striping (a freebie, tossed in by the body shop since my original pin striping had shrunken in some minute places. Go figure!) and sans dings.

I can't even tell where the original dings were.

They did such an awesome job that there is no evidence of my past inability to park in my garage. The trick will be keeping my car in tip top shape to reflect the brand new beginning of my 3 year old car.

God is like the body shop technician.

He takes our lives. Removes the dings. Renews the tired stuff. And the shininess and reflection that results is that of the person who did the body work. And now our job is to show off the shiny, new stuff and point to the person who did the awesome work.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21

A few Dings

2007-01-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

I drive just fine.

I just can't park.

Today my car is headed to the body shop for a bit of TLC. Two dings, neither of which were anyone else's fault nor a product of a busy parking lot. I seem to have a problem parking in my garage.

Both dings are worthy of some attention. One was a very deep scratch which took the paint off down to the metal. Rust was beginning to set in. The other was a dent that couldn't be classified as little.

So for a few days, I'll be driving a much smaller car and trying to get used to sitting in a sedan instead of my SUV. And I'll be considering the eventual purchase of something I can park without incident.

Goodbye 2006 - Hello 2007

2006-12-31T15:21:00.001-08:00

Its a little over 6 hours until the beginning of the new year. I love December 31st because it is a milestone of the hope of a new year with new adventures awaiting. This year I love December 31st even more. I'm ready for 2006 to roll on by.

Don't get me wrong. I have a long grateful list of blessings of the wonderful things God has done. Good stuff. Happy stuff. Terrific stuff.

But at the same time, 2006 has had its challenges that I'd rather put behind me as I reach forward to the goal ahead.

What do I want for 2007?

Grace.

I want to learn more about the mercies of God and how His grace reached through time and space to an undeserving young woman, providing unconditional love, unconditional forgiveness.

I want to learn how I can extend that same grace (or a human version of it) to others in a more significant way. I was forgiven much, therefore I can forgive others. I was loved much so I can love others.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Col 3:12-14

A Special Visitor

2006-12-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

Tonight I received a special visitor.

I sat and listened to him talk and marveled at the goodness of our God. I marveled in thankfulness at the notion of being able to know someone for so long and see what God has done through the years and to be a small part of that journey.

An 8th grade boy walked into my classroom many years ago. He had a sketchbook with wonderful, fun cartoons. He proclaimed he wanted to be a cartoonist, an animator. I nodded. At Christmas he brought me white chocolate covered pretzels. By the end of that year I knew if anyone could be an animator, he could.

A few years later when I moved upwards to teach at the high school, an 11th grader walked into my class. He had a new sketchbook with even better drawings and cartoons. His dream was still to be an animator. Christmas time brought more yummy pretzels. He graduated in the top 10 of a large senior class, proving himself as a scholastic brain along with his portfolio full of awesome art.

Four years later, he graduated from Ringling School of Art and Design. Sony ImageWorks hired him. He is an animator.

And today, he came by to bring me a Christmas gift. He brought white chocolate covered pretzels and memories of Christmases gone by when I was his teacher and he was the student bearing gifts. And he also brought me a copy of his first movie project: Monster House. I'm proud of this guy! Take a peek at Jarred Love and his work from his college years.

At times like this my heart sings. God is good!

December 26

2006-12-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome Christmas, beginning on Christmas Eve with church service. The music was perfect with the Fellowship of the Strings, a 7 year old on a violin, the worship leader's daughter singing "Mary, Did You Know?" and lots of congregational singing.

I love to sing. I grew up in a musical family. We all took a part and harmonized throughout the years. I still love to grab a part when I sing. This year I have some allergy "ick" that is keeping my throat tickly so its hard to grab those notes but it was still a wonderful thing.

Our kids were home for Christmas. That was the best part. Having them home for the holiday. Hanging out in the kitchen. Talking. Eating. Drinking hot chocolate. Remembering other years. Other people. Laughing. Talking. Eating.

It was just great to be together. There is nothing like it this side of heaven.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

Today FIOS is being installed in the house for TV and internet. I've been told the installer will be here for most of the day. He seems to love the attic. I'm also hoping to hit a few stores to pick up some christmas paper wrap for next year.

Welcome to our World

2006-12-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

I hope I never take for granted the birth of Jesus.

The knowledge that God put on a flesh suit as the man of Jesus is incredible. That in that manger, Mary delivered a perfect baby who would deliver the world of their sin. That Mary held God in her arms, nursed him. That he was born with tiny hands who would be pierced upon a cross. That he was born with a head prepared for a crown of thorns. That he was born with blood that would be the perfect lamb sacrifice for our sins once and for all.

That he was born to die purposefully. Not as an oops or a mistake or a plan B.

Our loving God prepared the perfect sacrifice in the man of Jesus.

Blows me away even now. And I hope I never grow tired of the amazing knowledge of His love.

Glory to God in the Highest. For unto us is born a Savior who is Christ the King.

Sneaky Stuff

2006-12-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the busy-ness of the season, Dora remains on patrol. She never gives up her role as head of homeland security.

When any of her family is in the driveway, Dora must watch from the fence, making sure we are safe. Its double duty if its includes my daughter who was visiting on Saturday and taking photos for a special gift for a special man. Dora peeked and daughter snapped this photo.

I think I'm okay in writing this blog about the photo session on the driveway. No longer a secret, the gift should be in the hands of the owner by now.

If not, oops! I'm sorry. [grin]

The Nativity

2006-12-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

We saw The Nativity movie this weekend. Another great way to spend an evening and help focus on the reason for the season.

I love Christmas with all the decorations and flavors, smells and goodies, packages and bows. I do not like the shopping and the crowds with accompanying traffic. And with all the things I love and hate about this time of year, its easy to be distracted.

Distracted by the packages and twinkling lights. Distracted by the frustation of the malls.

The movie of the story of Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethleham was very good.

I appreciated the fear and faith of Mary who obeyed and submitted to the will of God. The shunning she endured as no one believed her account.

I appreciated the anguish Joseph faced and the faith he needed to obey the angel and take Mary as his wife anyway.

I appreciated the length of the journey of 90 miles without a car in terrain that was rugged and not easy.

I missed the brilliance of the light and the glory of a multitude of heavenly host praising God and singing Glory to God in the Highest. I missed the accurate timing of the magi's arrival and the accuracy of why they did not return to tell Herod of Christ's birth.

But the best part, was the birth of Jesus. The King of Kings laying in a animal food trough. And being held in Mary's arms...God himself. Emmanuel. God with us. The long-awaited Savior, redeemer of our souls, perfect sacrifice for our sin.

Clean UP

2006-12-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

This fall's trees were a wonderfully unusual display of colors. Bright reds and yellows. But when it came time for the leaves to fall off, they still behaved like normal.

Seems they hang on until the last minute and then they all fall off. Brown and curled up. No longer looking pretty.

With a yard full of trees this means my lawn was buried in leaves.

But yesterday evening just as the sun was setting, the yard heroes arrived in their orange truck. Frenchy's crew to the rescue.

They spent the remaining daylight in the backyard, irritating the dogs with their leaf blowers and lawn mowers. This was about the same time as the arrival as the heating guy to replace a thermostat.

It was doggy bedlam as Dora went into her mode as "Head of Homeland Security" and Thelma displayed her circus act jumping from chair to chair.

This morning I'm anticipating the orange trucks arriving again to finish the front yard leaf cleanup. Frenchy's crew does an awesome job. The yard will look like a park when they are finished as they remove the last of autumn just in time for winter to arrive.

The dragging off of the leaves reminds me of the day to day, season to season things I need to do as a follower of Christ. Important self-checks. Stuff to drag to the curb. Trash to take out.

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4: 22-32

Random Questions from a busy weekend

2006-12-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Where do lost nuts and bolts go?

Why do thermostats go quirky in the middle of the night?

Why do city planners decide to tear up streets in front of the mall during December?

Why don't washing machines come with an easier system for attaching water hoses during a move?

Where do lost ceiling hooks go?

How often will our grown children move?

Why do the tastiest snacks have the highest fat gram count?

When will I get too old for Disneyworld?

Why do dogs sleep so much?

What happened to the Cowboys and who were those clowns wearing their uniforms?

Why exactly did the Cowboys pay so much for T.O.?

Why does ice cream taste better in the winter?

Greatness and Love

2006-12-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 35-39

Father, my friend is ill and needs your healing hand upon her. Surround her with your comfort and strength and remind her of your greatness and love. There is none like You. In Jesus name which is above every name, Amen.

Inheritance

2006-12-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about this notion of being a co-heir. It got my motor going during Thursday bible study as we were studying Romans and Ephesians. A sermon a week or so ago ignited it again as Mike taught on God as the Father.

The idea of being co-heir with Jesus excites me. Adopted daughter of the King of Kings. Not a step daughter. Not a half daughter. Not a foster daughter. Not a hired hand.

This inheritance is not something that I share with Jesus as a portion.

This inheritance is not something that I share with other believers as a portion.

About 12 years ago, I was contacted by an attorney I did not know informing me that my brother, sister and I had inherited our grandmother's portion of a piece of property. The distant relatives (I didn't know even existed!) had been trying to find us because they were selling the property.

Overnighted paperwork arrived for signatures. My sister and brother and I called each other on the phone, dreaming about how we might spend our windfall. We giggled. We fantasized. We had grand ideas of how we would spend our fortune.

A few days later another overnight envelope brought the closing papers and a check with my name on it.

$111.76 (or something like that. Now a distant memory but barely over 100 dollars and some change).

A big let down! I had such dreams!

Looking at the paperwork, it became obvious that this property was left to distant relatives who's children inherited. Many of them already gone, their children and children's children and in some cases (like ours!) their children's children's children inherited their portion.

I always think of this when I imagine sharing my inheritance with others. While it is how it works in our human economy, God's economy is very different!

We don't share by the portion, we share in the whole. All of it belongs to the believer.

We get ALL of the blessings of God.
ALL of the forgiveness.
All of the Holy Spirit.
All of His Grace.
All the redemption through His blood.
All of His holiness.
All of His Love.
All.

Not a portion.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1: 3-14

Enough

2006-12-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

Once a year its lovely. But enough already. Time to put it away.

I woke up this morning to 21 degrees and the snow is still on the ground.

The dogs ran outside for the morning ritual only to run back inside and under a blanket. They are still there.

To make matters worse (to me!) the local news is all about the weather. An "Arctic Blast" logo shows on the corner of the TV screen with scrolling notes below it, with school, church, business closings. Yesterday the "news" pre-empted national tv shows.

How many times do I need to see the sand trucks loaded up? How many times to I need to see the jack-knived semi-truck stranged on I-35?

Its no longer snowing. The sun is out. The sky is gorgeous blue. But the snow and ice remain...for the moment. With the sun out I suspect that by noon we will be back to normal. Hopefully the TV stations will find something else more news worthy soon.

In the meantime, I snuck outside with my camera to take a photo of a bit of my garden. The flowers were surprised in the middle of the last blooming cycle.

Cold Weather Soup

2006-11-30T14:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the temperature was in the 80's and my air conditioning kicked on automatically forcing me from my chair to turn it off. We sweated until the cold front blew an hour later.

Today, there is snow on the ground and the temperature is 27 degrees.

This adds up to equal Chicken Tortilla Soup. My favorite!

I got home from bible study and boiled the chicken, cutting up the veggies and getting the cilantro chopped up.

Its been cooking on the store, on low, all afternoon. In about 45 minutes I'll add some torn up corn tortillas to the soup and within another five minutes I'll have it dished up with Mexican cheese and jalapenos sprinkled on top.

The house smells yummy and we are warm. This is the perfect way to spend a cold snowy day.

A Sweet Fragrance

2006-11-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today started out warm and balmy. At one point the A/C kicked on with temperatures in the 80's and I had to go shut it off, reminding myself that December was almost here.

By nightfall the temperature dropped fifteen degrees within ten minutes time and as I write this blog, the temps continue to drop and the rain has started. Its 39 degrees right now.

The weather guy has predicted an arctic blast is headed our way and we are on alert. School may be cancelled. Sleet is forecasted. Unusual for Texas especially since the A/C had run today.

The cold weather put me in the candle mood. I managed to find a candle I had put away last year unused and it was the perfect choice. I think I've found a new favorite scent.

Peppermint!

Its minty and sweet smelling and makes me want to unwrap the candy canes hanging on my Christmas tree but I will hold myself back, enjoying the fragrance instead. But maybe when I'm at the store next time I'll look for low calorie peppermint snacks. I'll also need to buy some more peppermint candles since its obvious that I'll be lighting these up regularly to enjoy.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Joy to the World!

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." 2 Corinthians 2:14

That time of year

2006-11-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Its November 28th in Texas. There are still some leaves hanging on the trees although they are looking pretty desparate after a lovely color change this autumn. The sky was sunny today. The temps warm. In fact on some days I come close to thinking about turning on the A/C. Welcome to Texas.

But I know that the season is about to change. The one sure sign arrived today.

The doorbell rang. My favorite irrigation guy stood on my front porch. "Its time!" he announced. He had stopped by to shut off our system. I will put away all the sandals and sleeveless shirts. Winter is on its way.

The evening TV news is abuzz with the information that the county trucks are ready to sand the overpasses. The freeze warnings for pets and plants have started. The water bill is about to drop dramatically since the winter rain will take over watering our lawn.

Best of all: The Christmas tree is up! The stockings are hung by the fireplace with care. The coffee table has a seasonal candle. And my favorite nativity that looks all quilty made by Jim Shore is set out on my couch table complete with the flying angel proclaiming His coming!

I'm all ready. And my sprinklers are turned off.

Soldier Dog

2006-11-25T05:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon we had a frightening thing happen.

My husband opened up the door to walk up our sidewalk to get our mail.

He left the door cracked open a bit as the dogs were sitting with me, here in my chair. Dora Mae next to me. Thelma Lou in the ottoman.

WIthin seconds Dora sat up and started a growl. Within another split second she and Thelma Lou tore through the door and I heard horrible noises in the yard.

My husband was yelling. Dogs were fighting. And I ran out into the yard to see a large dog with Dora Mae. My husband was yelling over the large dog, trying to get him off without being attacked at the same time.

It seems that while my husband was walking up our sidewalk, our neighbor had his dog off its leash and it charged my husband. In our yard. My dogs in defensive mode, ran to protect him but forgot they are each 15 pounds of short hound.

The maddening thing is that the neighbor stood by doing nothing to get his dog off mine.

As I started yelling too, flailing my arms and screaming along with my husband's screams, the other dog let go of Dora. I ran to the door to let her in while I went back for Thelma who was crouched behind a tree. She had followed Dora for moral support but managed stay safe. Husband picked her up carefully and carried her towards the house.

"Is your dog on a leash?" I asked the neighbor.

"Is yours?" he asked.

"Our dogs came out to protect their human who was charged by your dog on our property."

The neighbor merely laughed. He thought it was funny, I guess. I would have thought an attorney would have been more serious about the situation.

Heading into the house the dogs were shaking. The humans were shaking. I spent the rest of the evening with my soldier dog on my lap, checking her out, making sure she was okay, and loving on her.

Dogs are loyal critters and this long wiener dog is no exception. I adore my Dora Mae.

....but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

In many ways, she reminds me of my Savior: Jesus. So many qualities of His love are demonstrated in this simple critter of a dog. Sticks with me through thick and thin. Always there. Loving. Companion. Protector. Steadfast. Trustworthy. Gentle. Faithful.

Black Friday

2006-11-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

I hate crowds but I have this figured out.

I didn't have to stand in line last night in a camping chair in front of Best Buy.

I didn't have to get up early to be at the doors when they opened at 5 a.m.

Instead of battling the crowds and heading to the malls, I opted to "do" Black Friday from my chair and laptop. I logged on.

I found great deals on a flat screen TV that we have been talking about and purchased one from BestBuy.com with free shipping.

Think about the stores you would check for the best deals from your car and in person and head to their online store and check for Black Friday specials. You'll be very surprised at the deals you can find online with delivery either free or very reasonable.

CrAzY dAy

2006-11-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

My crazy Monday started on Saturday. I was eating and realized I had broken a tooth or a filling. There was a funky gap between two teeth that wasn't there before and it hurt to munch on that side.

I treated that side carefully the rest of the weekend and called my favorite dentist this morning. He got me right in.

My only requirement of him: Fix me quickly. I had my annual eye checkup in one hour and ten minutes.

He is a super dentist and handled the problem swiftly. I had broken a filling and the broken piece managed to get jammed between my tooth and my gum. He numbed me up. And numbed me again. Fixed the tooth and retrieved the broken piece. Warned me I would look bruised and swollen and that my gum was bleeding pretty badly from the injury.

Out the dentist's door I headed to the eye doctor just down the street and around the corner. Every year my eye appointment includes having dilation to check on my retinas who manage to do something funky on occasion. (I have CSR - Central Serous Retinopathy which flares up from time to time but has been nice and quiet lately. Yay for healthy retinas!)

I left the eye doc's office with sunglasses required for my dilated eyes and a crooked face from the dentist's handiwork.

Its after noon now and I was hungry. I couldn't chew yet because my face was still very numb. I drove through my favorite, Braums, and ordered a mint chocolate chip milk shake. It helped take the edge off my hunger but now I was freezing.

I headed home to find the dogs stretched out in the middle of the floor in a sunshine puddle. I joined them.

So if you are looking for a numbed face, dilated eyes, fabulous fifty woman wearing sunglasses while she lays in the sunshine in her living room, here I am.

P.S. Comments have been turned to moderation again. The ugly comments have started again in response to an old blog. These folks just can't handle the fact that I am allowed to have an opinion about marriage being one man and one woman. Amazing how they accuse me of intolerance when their comments are excellent examples of the ultimate in intolerance.....towards a christian! Funny how it works out that way.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 says: For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe."