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on the road ~ day 3
The day’s not through yet, but I just have to write a quick post about meeting Meredith, Holly and Joanne. We met this morning at the hotel where I’m staying, and decided to go to Java Guru for coffee. My goodness ~ to be honest, you’d think we’d all been friends for a million years. There was no awkwardness or hesitation at all. How lovely to meet in person and find that these 3 ladies are exactly who they say they are on their blogs!
We sat at Java Guru for about 2 hours and just talked about whatever came up. Then we decided to go to The Black-Eyed Pea for lunch ~ Holly’s favorite (thank you Holly for suggesting it ~ lunch was very good!). We talked and talked and talked ~ I think we touched on just about every subject under the sun. It was fantastic ~ a wonderful time with sister believers. I don’t think I’ve ever met other women with whom the conversation so easily flowed.
Joanne gave us really pretty Moleskine notebooks she had sewn some material onto ~ I’ll have pictures of the ladies and the notebook Joanne gave me when I get home. Joanne has the most amazing charm bracelet ~ she said there’s about 75 charms on it, and she has had it since she was 7 years old. What an amazing collection of memories she carries around with her every day. I imagine she has people ask her about it often. I have only read one of Joanne’s books (so far), but her “voice” in her books is the same as in real life.
Sweet Meredith has been fighting an illness alongside her daughters. I’m thankful she felt well enough to come today. She has lost most of her voice, and I’m praying that she will feel 100% soon. Mer, next time we get together we’ll let you talk more than the rest of us, I promise! 
Holly is just as dear and sweet as I expected her to be from reading her blog. What I didn’t expect was her sense of humor! She had us all laughing frequently. Sometimes she was even in danger of one of us laughing so abruptly that we might accidentally spit our coffee or food on her ~ I’m pleased to tell you though that we managed to keep the drinks and the food in our mouths.
You know, I have to marvel at the power of the internet, and the amazing way our awesome God uses it for His glory. There I sat with 3 ladies who I had never actually met before, and yet I felt comfortable, and the conversation was easy. If you know me, you know I’m not a big social person. I don’t “do” squadron wives’ get-togethers, and I don’t usually do any of the officer’s wives’ things, and participating in Bible studies can be difficult for me when there are too many people involved. I can be uncomfortable in groups. To me, more than 2 is a group!
Anyway, thank you Meredith, Holly and Joanne for making today a pure joy. I enjoyed each of you, and I truly enjoyed the time we were able to spend together. God is good all the time ~ He blessed me tremendously today with your sweet company. And I can’t wait to do it again!
on the road ~ days 1 & 2
We left Little Rock Tuesday morning and arrived in Denver safely. Our flight was direct from LR to DIA ~ I always forget how BIG Denver’s airport is. It seemed like we walked for miles just to find the baggage area! But, we found all of our luggage and we were off on our adventures.
We did a little shopping and nosing around Denver and Castle Rock, then headed to the hotel to call it a night. It was a long but pleasant day.
We spent yesterday at Winter Park. While Sawyer and Caitlin hit the slopes, Roger and I sat in the lodge and chilled. We ate lunch at a restaurant, then the kids went back to the slopes. The lifts closed at 4:00pm, so we headed back to the hotel. We had dinner, then called it an early night. This thin air up here really takes it out of you!
Today I’m meeting Holly, Meredith and Joanne for coffee while the kids are with Roger at Winter Park again. We’re having dinner with Roger’s mom and step-dad this evening. Tomorrow we’ll take in the outlet malls ~ watch out Gymboree, OshKosh and Baby Gap, here I come! I hope you have lots of cute little pink clothing in stock! LOL
congratulations, nana! your grandbaby is……
a girl! Attison is right on schedule ~ a little over 1 pound at 21 weeks. We still have a due date of July 1.
Ashley is so impressed with the prenatal care she’s receiving. Her ultrasound appointment today included genetic counseling, and the ultrasound itself is 4D. Yep, you read that correctly ~ 4D. Ashley told me Attison’s face is as clear as a bell. They gave her print copies AND a CD of the entire ultrasound. She’s sending me a print and a CD. I won’t be able to see them until after we get home from Colorado, but that’s ok. I’m thrilled just to know we’re having a girl! 
i’m gone :)
I’m going to be gone from the blogging world for a little while (although I will most likely post on Monday after we find out whether our grandchild will be an Attison Cole (girl) or Jonas Allen (boy)!). We are leaving for Colorado next Tuesday, and I don’t plan to blog while I’m on vacation. I will post about our trip after we get home, though.
For now, I’m working on baby shower invitations. My sweet friends from church and homeschool co-op decided they want to have a baby shower for Ashley while she’s here visiting. I checked with Ashley before agreeing to it ~ she was in tears, humbled and amazed that these ladies would want to have a baby shower for someone they don’t even know yet. The love of Christ is a powerful thing.
Before we leave I will be doing laundry and cleaning. I like to come home to a very clean house when I’ve been gone for a while. We were going to hire a lady to come in and do the spring cleaning before we left, but I haven’t heard from her and I don’t have time to look for someone else ~ so, I will be doing the cleaning myself.
Patrick is sick ~ his right tonsil is swollen to the point of blocking off almost half of his throat. He was supposed to go to the doctor this morning, but the Residential Mentor who was supposed to drive him to his appointment overslept (great mentoring there, don’t you think?). I’m angry about it because Roger is supposed to be taking Patrick and Ariel up to Drury University today for Trustee Scholarship interviews and a tour of the university. It’s probably not the best thing to be whisking our sick son off to Missouri, but we figured since he has made it through the past 2 weeks with this thing (we had no idea his tonsil was so swollen; he thought it was just a cold sore on the back of his tongue that was irritating his throat) he’d be able to make the trip just fine, especially after seeing the doctor. So now we’re in a pickle as far as getting the kids up to Drury in time for them to participate in the tour and so forth. The interviews are Saturday, and Ariel has a choir scholarship audition as well as a Trustee Scholarship interview……..(major sigh) what a mess. I’m letting Roger handle the whole thing ~ if I called the school right now and chewed someone out because Patrick missed the doctor’s appointment and may possibly miss a scholarship interview, and therefore possibly lose a very prestigious scholarship, well, let’s just say Patrick’s school administration might not want him as a student there anymore! (I’m very angry, so it’s best that Roger handle it.)
So, in a very cynical tone, I say happy birthday to me, welcome to a new decade! LOL Ok, really, at this point I’m just going to have to laugh, and remind myself of all of the really great, amazing things God has blessed me with, especially lately. Truly, today is my 40th birthday ~ I have a fantastic husband, 3 (!) great kids, a roof over my head, food in the pantry, a regular source of income (that would be Roger’s job, but his job is still a blessing to me), I’ve been given the opportunity to develop a relationship with my daughter, and I’m going to be a nana in less than 5 months! I’m not about to let the enemy have any part of my joy.
I’m still hanging onto the Rock and looking for the rainbow ~ and that’s a joyous thing!
death of a six-foot teddy bear
Summary: When a man turns up dead in a teddy bear costume, Ginger and the other ladies of the Bargain Hunters Network learn a lesson about trusting in God rather than in wealth as they try to solve the crime and clear one of their own.
Trish’s Take: Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear is the second installment of the Bargain Hunters Mystery series by Sharon Dunn. I read the first book of the series, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, and knew I was in for a treat with the second book.
My friend De’Etta calls these books “cozy mysteries”. I think that’s a pretty good term to describe this type of book. It’s a wonderful book to have while you curl up in your favorite chair with a soft blanket and a warm cup of coffee or tea. The characters are charming and likable, and Sharon Dunn has done a remarkable job of making her charming and likable characters also insightful and intelligent. Just when you’re getting settled and start thinking the plot is becoming predictible, Sharon will throw in a twist, mix things up a bit, and add a little surprise or two that will grab your attention.
Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear is a great read ~ something to pull out on an afternoon where you want something fun and interesting to read, and you want to be entertained by the style of writing, the characters and the story itself. There are twists and turns to keep your attention, and trust me, the ending is NOT the predictible one you expect it to be! Definitely a good read ~ take it along the next time you go to your cabin, the beach, the swimming pool or want to curl up in your favorite chair and enjoy a good read for a while. You won’t be disappointed.
Sharon Dunn is the author of Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, book one in the Bargain Hunters Mysteries, and the Ruby Taylor mystery novels including Sassy Cinderella, which was voted Book of the Year by American Christian Fiction Writers. She earned a BA in television production and a master’s in history Sharon lives in Bozeman, Montana, with her husband of twenty years, three children, two cats, and lots of dust bunnies.
P.S. A quick note to Sharon: I’m quite envious that you live in Bozeman ~ I grew up in Billings, and Bozeman is where my husband and I plan to retire (in about 20 years). I’ll look you up! LOL
doctor’s visit report
Ashley had a doctor’s appointment yesterday morning. The baby’s heartbeat was strong. The little bugger decided she (he) didn’t like that fetal heart monitor pressing into her space so much, so she kept kicking it! LOL They drew blood and will do the whole battery of tests. No cause for concern, just routine stuff. Ashley loved the staff at the clinic; they were friendly, gentle, and told her everything they were doing and why they were doing it.
Next Monday morning ~ 8am to be exact ~ Ashley is scheduled to have an ultrasound. So, you can expect to find out whether this baby is a boy or a girl next Monday. I’m certainly looking forward to that ~ I think Ashley is almost as excited about it as I am! LOL
adam
ADAM by Ted Dekker
(Thomas Nelson April 1, 2008)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ted is the son of missionaries John and Helen Dekker, whose incredible story of life among headhunters in Indonesia has been told in several books. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the jungle and a myriad of cultures, each steeped in their own interpretation of life and faith, Dekker received a first-class education on human nature and behavior. This, he believes, is the foundation of his writing.
After graduating from a multi-cultural high school, he took up permanent residence in the United States to study Religion and Philosophy. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree, Dekker entered the corporate world in management for a large healthcare company in California. Dekker was quickly recognized as a talent in the field of marketing and was soon promoted to Director of Marketing. This experience gave him a background which enabled him to eventually form his own company and steadily climb the corporate ladder.
Since 1997, Dekker has written full-time. He states that each time he writes, he finds his understanding of life and love just a little clearer and his expression of that understanding a little more vivid. Dekker’s body of work encompassing seven mysteries, three thrillers and ten fantasies includes Heaven’s Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blessed Child, A Man Called Blessed, Blink, Thr3e, The Circle Trilogy (Black, Red, White), and Obsessed, with two more…Renegade, and Chaos to be released later this year.
ABOUT THE BOOK
He died once to stop the killer…now he’s dying again to save his wife.
FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark has become famous for his well-articulated arguments that religion is one of society’s greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn’t know is that his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as “Eve” is about to end abruptly with an unexpected death-his own.
Twenty minutes later Daniel is resuscitated, only to be haunted by the loss of memory of the events immediately preceding his death.
Daniel becomes convinced that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes during which he alone saw the killer’s face. And the only way to access them is to trigger his brain’s memory dump that occurs at the time of death by simulating his death again…and again. So begins a carefully researched psychological thriller which delves deep into the haunting realities of near-death experiences, demon possession, and the human psche.
“As always with a Ted Dekker thriller, the details of ADAM are stunning, pointing to meticulous research in a raft of areas: police and FBI methods, forensic medicine, psychological profiling-in short, all that accompanies a Federal hunt for a serial killer. But Dekker fully reveals his magic in the latter part of the book, when he subtly introduces his darker and more frightening theme. It’s all too creepily convincing. We have to keep telling ourselves that this is fiction. At the same time, we can’t help thinking that not only could it happen, but that it will happen if we’re not careful.”
New York Times best-selling author Ted Dekker unleashes his most riveting novel yet…an elusive serial killer whose victims die of unknown causes and the psychologist obsessed with catching him.
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Trish’s Take
This book had my attention from page one. I’m a fan of any book or television show that involves people who are trying to figure out the behavior patterns of another person. When I was in college, I thought I wanted to be a psychologist or psychiatrist. My ultimate goal was to work for the FBI or some government agency tracking down the bad guys by using their behavior and their habit patterns to make educated guesses as to what they would probably do next.
The above summary gives you a pretty good idea of what Adam is about. I enjoyed this book. There were a few surprises, but I have read Ted Dekker’s books before, so I knew things like that were going to happen. Towards the middle of the book the story started to curve in a different direction than where I originally thought it was headed. It’s not a book for the feint of heart.
I enjoyed Adam ~ I finished the book in 2 days, which is pretty quick for me nowadays. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story about the evil that occupies this world but who doesn’t want to have to read Stephen King or the like in order to be entertained. Dekker did not write a gorey book, nor do I believe anyone will be so frightened by this book as to have nightmares. But Dekker does address certain supernatural elements that can frighten those who aren’t prepared for it.
My 15-year-old son is currently reading this book. He’s a fan of Dekker, and I have no problem letting him read it. If he were extremely sensitive I may have second thoughts about that, but my son is well-rooted in the Word of God, and he knows “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
so many projects……
so little time! I was a busy little beaver this past weekend. Friday I decided to clean up, clean out and rearrange the craft end of my office/craft room/sunroom. It took me most of the day, but I’m very pleased with the way it turned out.
I consolidated my stock (stash) of candles that are left over from my candle business ~ we officially closed the business December 31, 2007, so all of the unsold candles now belong to me. When I consolidated the candles, it opened up a lot of space on the rack where I keep them, so I moved all of my rubber stamps to that rack. I also stashed a few other crafting items under that rack.
Then I rearranged the rack where the rubber stamps had been, opening up some room for my smaller canvas bags full of yarn. I moved the wire cubes I use to hold my 100% wool yarn (for felting) over next to my desk and rearranged a few other items.
(This picture makes my craft area look so small ~ just realize there’s more space on the right hand side once you get past the bookcase and white cubes. The wall cuts back an extra 2 feet or so ~ there’s a steel shelving rack full of scrapbooking materials and yarn just past the white cubes that you can’t see in this picture.)
The wooden cubes where I store my 8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock as well as scrapbooks waiting to be filled had been sitting on one of my 6′ craft/work tables. I decided that really was not a good use of precious work space, so I moved them over next to the bookcase. Now I have 12′ of working space for crafting, scrapbooking, stamping, cardmaking and whatever else I can come up with.
Thanks to Barb @ A Chelsea Morning, I have started another new project. I’m going to make my grandbaby some nice burp cloths. Barb posted a tutorial here. The thing is, I don’t own a sewing machine. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to thread a bobbin, much less sew a straight line! So, I’ve enlisted the help of a lovely young lady who loves to sew. I’m going to do the majority of the work, then pass them along to her for the sewing-up part. It should be a fun adventure for me to even get them ready for her to sew. I’m just going to follow Barb’s tutorial ~ I’m pretty sure I can do that. I’ve decided to do a LOT of burp cloths ~ 12 for Ashley to keep, and 12 for Nana (that would be me) to keep at her house. I’m adding micro fiber cloths under the fabric, and I’m using flannel rather than cotton fabric.
I also started a recipe book for Ashley. When I got married, I had absolutely no idea how to really be a housewife/homemaker. None, whatsoever. I took 1 home ec class in high school, and the only thing I learned in that class is how to cook scrambled eggs. Now, don’t get me wrong ~ Roger loves eggs, but we couldn’t live on JUST scrambled eggs! So, I put my nose to the grindstone (so to speak) and started learning the hidden art of homemaking. I’m still learning ~ and I am so thankful to those precious ladies out there who are willing to share their know-how and mentor the rest of us! Since my daughter is 19 and pregnant with her first child, I figured it was time for me to step up to the plate and share with her some of the things I’ve learned. I bought this 3-ring style recipe book for her (I found it locally at Mardel for $18)
and I have written down a few of our family favorite recipes to get her started.
When she comes to visit in March I will give it to her. I made a few minor changes to the recipe book itself. The front cover had this little dollhouse-like set of silverware, a plate and a little napkin glued to it. Personally, I thought it was rather ugly ~ I love the recipe book itself; the 3-ring style and the red leather are beautiful and exactly what I wanted. But that place setting on the front cover just didn’t do it for me. So, I removed it, and replaced it with the bottom right-hand corner of one of the recipe cards I bought to go along with the pretty red leather book. I cut out the corner of the recipe card, glued it to a piece of black cardstock, then glued the whole thing into the place where the ugly place setting had been. I think it turned out beautiful.
I also found some cute little fleece sweaters and pants for my grandbaby. I’m not usually a fan of yellow or green when it comes to baby clothes. But these were just so cute ~ and they were marked down so much!~ that I just had to buy them. They’ll be perfect when the baby is 3 to 6 months old and the weather begins to cool off a bit.
I still have to finish the wedding afghan I’m making for our niece and her groom, and I have a couple other small projects to complete before we go to Colorado. I have plenty of time though ~ I should be able to get all of the crochet projects done, and maybe even have my part of the burp cloths finished so I can pass them off to be sewn before we leave. That means I’ll be spending less time on my computer. I’m enjoying the craft projects though ~ I’ll post pictures as I get projects completed.
you know you married the right guy when…….
he knows that roses are NOT your favorite flowers, so instead he sends you tulips on Valentine’s Day ~ because tulips ARE your favorite flowers!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
changes on the horizon
My friend Meredith wrote this post about the calm before the storm. You know, I’ve been thinking about that a lot over the past two weeks.
I’ve had some pretty big drama in my life. But that was years and years ago ~ truly, I have lived a nice, quiet, calm, unremarkable, satisfyingly content life for oh, I don’t know, about 15+ years now. Once I figured out that I was the cause of most of the friction in my life ~ I caused my own problems by my own sinful choices ~ things turned around pretty quickly. I’m not saying there haven’t been consequences for those sinful choices; but God has used those consequences to show me His love and mercy, to draw me closer to Him, and to help me understand my need for Him. Even with the bad stuff (what I call junk) God has been good.
Finding my daughter and discovering that I’m going to be a mother-in-law and a nana soon are some pretty big events. I see evidence of God’s handiwork in every aspect of my life, especially right now. I am not a drama queen ~ when my life was one big drama after another I was completely miserable. I know some people who thrive on drama; in fact, I know some people whose lives make better soap operas than the ones they show on TV! I don’t know how they do it, running from one major life event to the next, never taking the time to really slow down, listen to God, and then just obey.
There are some really big changes in my life on the horizon. And not just my life, but but in the lives all of those whose are close to me ~ my husband and children especially.
I used to think that change was something to be feared and avoided at all cost. Change can cause major drama, and I have a tendency to shy away from major drama. But as I have grown older (and perhaps a touch wiser?), I have been able to see how God orchestrates the changes in my life. Most of them have happen slowly and quietly, mainly in my heart and my attitude. But there are some big events coming, and I’m doing my best to rest in the Lord and not be afraid.
God is my rock and my foundation ~ winds can blow, seas can roar, mountains can crumble ~ none of that can shake my home. Unless, of course, I let it. How would I let it? By stepping outside of the safety, covering and security of the Lord’s arms. I can choose to step outside and let the winds blow me around, the seas wash me away, or the mountains pile on top of me. Or, I can choose to trust the Lord with every tiny detail of my life, resting in the knowledge that He holds my life in His hands, and He is ultimately in control.
The changes that God has brought into my life over the past two weeks have been amazing. I know I’ve probably said it a million times, but I can’t express my joy in finding Ashley enough. I know she’s in a tough situation right now ~ being 19 and pregnant, living with her fiancee and feeling she had no one to turn to for the past 2 years has been very difficult for her. I’ve been there, and that’s what I mean when I talk about drama. But you see, for Ashley it’s different than it was for me. She has me and Roger now to look to as parental figures. And she even gets a couple of brothers thrown into the bargain too.
So while I can see the storm clouds moving toward me, I know that I am secure, and nothing can shake my foundation. Maybe some of the useless stuff will blow away ~ the wind and the seas can have the junk. I’m hanging onto the Rock and looking for the rainbow.