Monday, December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas '06

Dear Family & Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We have much to thank the Lord for; but during this season our gratitude is focused on the gift of the Lord, Himself. It goes beyond our ability to comprehend that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Almighty God of Heaven, had such compassion for us that He left His glorious throne for a manger in Bethlehem; but that is exactly what a few frightened shepherds discovered one night over 2000 years ago. What amazing grace! What wondrous love! So it is our prayer that as you enjoy the many gifts of this time of year you will also remember God’s Gift to humanity – Jesus Christ. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

When we consider all that has happened during this year, we wonder if it has really only been one year. We started the year with the realization that our efforts to return north were not the Lord’s will for now and began the hunt for our first house. By the beginning of March we had looked at 47 houses and were especially interested in one of them. However, on the morning of March 7th while I was on my way to the dentist our purple pick-up was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. Although it did not seem good at the time, it was all part of God’s plan for the rest of our year. The very next day we discovered that Melinda was expecting our second child! Also on March 8th, Dad arrived for a visit and to re-examine a few of our more promising prospective houses. By the end of Dad’s visit we had made an offer on the house we liked the most and Dad had informed us that he and Lesann would like to give us Lesann’s Explorer. We are thankful to Dad & Lesann for their generous gift; to Coart & Lori and Brad & April for letting us use their cars for a time; and to all those who prayed for us.

On March 24th we celebrated Kenneth’s first birthday by taking him out for Mexican food. We know it is a bit unorthodox, but he enjoyed it. By the end of March we closed on our very first house. During April we took a trip north to visit our families and retrieve Lesann’s Explorer. By the end of April we were finally moved in with the help of several friends from the area for whom we are very thankful. As the year progressed, Melinda and I refinished our bookshelves & our new house’s deck and managed to get unpacked for the most part. Kenneth worked on his walking by exploring his new home, and he graduated to a regular bed with the help of some bed-rails. On October 18th Melinda and I celebrated our ninth anniversary, and on October 29th Hannah Melinda was born in our new home. We thank the Lord for helping us through our first home-birth without any complications and delivering to us a healthy daughter. We thank Mom for making the long drive to visit over Thanksgiving and helping Melinda as I was just returning to work. We especially appreciated her playing the role of chef after three weeks of my cooking during which time I made sure the smoke detectors were working. Now we look forward to celebrating Hannah’s first Christmas in our new home and hope that yours is filled with wonder and joy.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Argh...

Even have a million things to do and only time for about a hundred of them?

Yea, posting on the blog is in that million list.. but (obviously) not in the hundred list. Maybe one day!

BD#2 is still sleeping through the night (she started that at about 3 1/2 weeks old), BD#1 still likes his little sister (no major incidents yet), Christmas is coming, the tree is up & garlanded & lit... half nude of ornaments though (we parent people keep running out of time to decorate).... the Christmas letter is written, photocopied & signed, envelopes addressed & stamped... Suffice it to say things are going well.

I just need to finish folding the Christmas letters, stuffing pictures & letters into envelopes & licking envelopes. Yuck. I need an envelope licker. Maybe the local stray dogs would like temporary jobs. Did you know the average postage stamp's glue is worth 1/2 calorie (from those "olden days" before self-adhesive stamps). Can you tell I'm short on sleep??? I love randomness early in the morning....

For those who want to see... here are the Savage's dragon spawn... recently (like this week).


Baby Dragon #1 being Momma's little helper.. that's a dust pan in his left hand.


Baby Dragon #2 chatting with her Daddy.

And for what it's worth, I'm in the crowd that thinks it's criminal not to have a Christmas tree up in one's house.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

The Proverbs 31 Woman....

... I am not.

But I've decided something. She's not so special after all. The only reason she "rises while it is yet night" is because the 20 month old is suddenly waking up 2 hours early every morning... or maybe it's because she's still up with the baby from the night before... but either way.... any young mother can do that!!

...and here I'd always heard she was so super-spiritual that she had an early version of an alarm clock! Male preachers!?! What do they know?! ;-)

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Note to Self...

Read ALL incoming new e-mail before sending thanks to your mother-in-law for the three HUGE boxes just arrived from Fisher-Price... that are really from your best friend.

Oops!!

Oh well!! At least Sandy (MIL) has a great sense of humor... she'll laugh!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Weird Sighting of the Day...

I have a mental image for you all to conjure up.

Begin with the body height and shape of Gimley the Dwarf from LOTR.

For the head/face/hair: think craggy, leathery skin with grizzled eyebrows and a beakish/bulbous nose (yes, I know they're opposites, but work with me here! It was long and bulbous, so there!)
Add a do rag on top of shaggy dark brown hair almost to the waist, then add a rather unkempt, very untrimmed beard--complete with 5 or 6 dreadlocks....

For attire: a green kilt, white knee socks pulled ALL the way up, a walking stick/cane thingie, cool brown walking shoes, and the traditional male Scots purse of choice, a sporran!! Don't forget to add a beat-up old back-pack slung over the shoulders. So help me, he's wearing a shirt, but I'm so focused on the kilt & sporran that I don't care what shirt image you conjure.

OK now..... Got that image?!



I SAW HIM TODAY!!!!! (And if I had been driving, I'd have driven off the road). Wish I'd had my camera handy..... and that NCS's Barbarian Day had been a bit later... I could've sent him y'alls way & he'd have fit right in!!

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

From Mikey's Funnies

today'sFUNNY=============================

A lonely frog telephoned the Psychic Hotline and asked what his future holds.

His Personal Psychic Advisor tells him, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."

The frog is thrilled, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party?" he croaks.

"No," says the psychic, "in biology class."



today'sTHOT============================

Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address?

=======================================

PASS IT ON!
Yeah, you can send this Funny to anybody you want. And, if you're REAL nice, you'll tell them where you got it! www.mikeysFunnies.com

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Weird Fact of the Day....

I have a placenta in my freezer.



Told you it was weird, now didn't I?



TMI, TMI, TMI!!!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

She's Here!!

Little Miss Hannah Melinda arrived at 11:43am today (Sunday). She weighted in at an even 8 lbs. and measured 21 inches. Mom (that'd be me) and baby are doing just fine. Thank you all for your prayers!! They were greatly appreciated.

I'll post some details for you gossip hounds later.... like Monday or Tuesday. For now, little miss is sleeping & I'm getting ready to eat & sleep too.

G'night all!! |-]

Oh... here's a pic of her... and her big brother. This is the first time he'd seen her. He's admiring her nose--proof she's the same species as him! (We'll have to explain that men and women are different species later! :-D)



And if you're wondering why I'm the one posting when it's still Sunday, we had Little Miss here at home.... and the computer's nearby. :-)

Friday, October 27, 2006

Update...

No, still not yet. Had a good visit with the midwives Thursday. If the baby isn't here by Monday, I get to call my primary care physician to schedule an ultrasound... just to take a look-see and make sure everything is in order. So... we're all praying she decides to come this weekend. Y'all could join in those prayers iffen you'd like. They'll be appreciated! :-)

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

No..... Not yet....

...but tomorrow (Thursday) will be 41 weeks... and her big brother came in at 41 weeks persactly..... so ... We'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Happy Anniversary to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee................................

Nothing like having a kid due to arrive the day after your anniversary!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

An article to go read....

This is an interesting article... I think.... By which I mean I think it's interesting, rather than I think it's interesting. Confused?

And this is the line that struck me while I was reading it, with a bit of preceding text for context:

The world you live in—your nation, your people—is not the world you were born in at all. The forms are all there, all untouched, all reassuring, the houses, the shops, the jobs, the mealtimes, the visits, the concerts, the cinema, the holidays. But the spirit, which you never noticed because you made the lifelong mistake of identifying it with the forms, is changed.

Thoughts??

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Spam...

OK, so this post has nothing personal to do with any of you... I have an aunt who forwards EVERYTHING that comes to her..... Anyway, thought this was cute (and original).


ODE TO SPAM
By Mary Egidio, Lakeland, FL

I do not want to read your spam.
I do not want it, Sam I Am.

I do not want to read your jokes.
That virus warning? It's a hoax!

Don't send me tests I must complete,
Or cutesy poems that are sweet.

I get enough of spam, I do.
I hate to see it come from you.

Spam offers drugs to make me stronger,
Or make some part of me grow longer.

So, when a joke or tale you see,
Please, please don't hit that forward key.

Instead, why don't you drop a line?
How are your kids? Is your life fine?

How can I pray for you today?
Read a good book or seen a play?

What victories can you report?
I'd love to read it - long or short!

I'll be so glad you didn't spam.
Thank you, thank you, Sam I Am.

Copyright 2006 Mary Egidio.
Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.


Now, isn't that a nice way of putting it??

Saturday, October 7, 2006

Confession is good for the soul.

We've settled. Well, settled sounds like we're not happy with our choice--we are. OK, so how about cemented?

The parent peoples have made up their minds on the name of the little one-to-come. Provided she comes out as a girl (ultrasounds have been known to be wrong before), her name will be .............. drum roll please ............

Hannah Melinda

So.... now you know. Many thanks to all of you who contributed name suggestions. I still like Bart, but I think her dad would object!

Thursday, October 5, 2006

38 weeks and counting....

...drums fingers....

...waiting for baby girl's stationary to arrive so I can start writing Thank You notes.... so I can get the gift bags unpacked & wash all those little pink outfits... and figure out what I still need before she gets here..... |-]

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Name that baby....

OK, here's your challenge. Down there is an admittedly awful picture of the girl (Well, OK, the pic is of me... not the best from the shower tonight, but it'll hafta do).



Now that you've "seen" her, you have to help name her. Her middle name is Melinda... her last name is something like VanSteinwalkenheimerwagonerer... or maybe even longer. So....... given her middle and last names (unfortunately non-negotiable), what should her first name be??

I know that a few of you have been tossing around ideas. I promise I won't be offended (but I might let out a guffaw or two)... I want to hear your suggestions. ALL your suggestions. Really, I do. And if anyone picks the name we've been leaning toward, I might even fess up.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Southerners, pt. 2

Y'all may remember a post I made last month about Southerners. I did say they were nice folks, right? Well, here's another proof of that....

Male half of said neighbors just came over and asked "if my husband would be upset" if he mowed our lawn for us. Would he be upset?? Heck no!! He'll probably dance a jig when he gets home & sees the lawn freshly cut (in a half-hour of the neighbors time on his riding mower instead of the usual 3 hours it takes hubby with the push mower)!!

As neighbor-man put it, "I'm in a good mood today." I'm pretty sure this will leave husband-man in a good mood too! No grass to mow this coming weekend. More time for playing Rome Total War....... eh, never mind.

Here's to good neighbors!!

Saturday, September 9, 2006

Prayer request....

This from a friend...

Hey Everyone…I am calling on everyone I know who is a believer to pray for me, my family, and my friends right now. We have had a couple of awful ironic things happen over the past 5 days.

On Saturday night (a week ago tonight), a very close friend of mine, L, and her husband, J, went to a party. J is an alcoholic along with some other mental issues. He does not see himself as an alcoholic. L’s marriage is pretty miserable, as J does not see any need to change, and L keeps trying to “guilt” him into changing. Of course, this will not work, so the cycle continues. L stays in the marriage because she wants the “perfect” life—nice house in an affluent neighborhood, good looking husband, and beautiful children. She stays in a marriage rotting from within because she so badly wants this image intact. Despite her shortcomings, she is a dear friend of mine, although one who can be emotionally draining due to her neediness.

Anyway, they attend the party, and J gets very, very drunk. L drives them home. When they get home, they have a fight over his drinking, and she tells him to sleep on the couch. She goes upstairs to brush her teeth, and hears the garage door open. J left in his car. She drove around looking for him at convenience stores and the local bar. When she can’t find him, she calls the police to report a missing drunk person.

When the cop arrives, he takes the report and leaves. In a matter of minutes, the cop comes back to her door to tell her that he has been involved in an accident. He was driving southbound on the northbound lanes of a 4-lane divided highway without headlights. He hit another car head on, killing one person in the other car on impact. J, despite immediate appearances to the contrary, was alive and will recover from a broken hip and ruptured spleen. He will recover well enough to spend a minimum of 5 years in prison for vehicular homicide and assault by auto, and that’s with the high priced defense attorney his and L’s family’s are hiring. I have been dealing with this since L’s panicked phone call Sunday morning, trying to be a supportive friend. This can be very difficult when she vacillates between making excuses for him and being angry. So far, J is unrepentant and has even gone so far as to blame L for not stopping him from driving away.

Today (Friday) was the second day of school. I was in the middle of going over the rules with my 1st period class when my boss comes to my classroom door. My mom is on the phone. She tells me that my dad’s youngest sister has been killed by a drunk driver in a head on collision. The drunk driver was going northbound on the southbound lanes of a 4-lane divided highway. She was killed on impact. She was an on-call hospice nurse, and was returning from a late night call from a patient. My aunt had been a job drifter and an excuse maker until she recently found happiness and her niche in hospice nursing. She was very highly respected by her co-workers and boss, as my mom has found out from speaking with her boss. Now she’s gone. She was 45.
My dad has now had to mourn 3 siblings in the past 7 years. All were lost at a young age: one at 62 to breast cancer, one at 61 to heart disease, and now T at 45.

I am reeling from having to live the same tragedy and identical accident scenario from both sides in one week: as the victim’s family and as a friend of the perpetrator’s family. Nobody wins. Nobody.

Please be praying for me and my family and the families of both drunk drivers. This is a lot to handle. I am trying to figure out what the Lord is trying to tell me through these circumstances. I, as yet, do not understand. This makes panic disorder look like a piece of cake. Love, _____

*UPDATE*
Hi…To add to your prayer list, the drunk driver, a 20-year-old, who killed my aunt, died last night at the hospital where he was taken after the accident. There are a lot of people hurting! Thank you for your support and love and prayers.

Wednesday, September 6, 2006

37-42

Nope, neither my age range nor my hip size I'll leave y'all to guess which side of 37-42 those fall on.

No, really.... 37-42... the magical 5 week window during which Little-Miss-Kicks-like-a-Mule needs to make her appearance in order for the midwives to legally assist with her birth. I'm all about being legal.... and I'm getting to be all about getting "LMKlaM" OUT..... so y'all pray for us (mule & me). She must needs stay put for at least another 3 weeks, then she needs to get the heck OUT of my ribcage. Sheesh... you'd think I was short or something!

For the uninitiated, mom's lack-of-height means the baby spends a lot of time cramped up under your diaphragm--making it dang hard to breathe in any position but concert-pianist-straight-backed or laying down. Me? I'm not short...*whines*... and I really prefer slouching.... Oh well... only another 7 weeks & I can slouch to my heart's content, with babe in arms instead of ribs.

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Gender Fluidity?!

I might have known this article was coming out of San Fran.... When is it OK for boys to be girls and girls to be boys?

(and if you're not the slightest bit interested in reading it... don't.... It's just... um... odd. Current, no doubt, but odd.)

Saturday, September 2, 2006

Here's to friends...

Friends who let you store stuff in their house... taking up their space... for years (literally)... until one day they become:

Friends who let you steal your stuff back.... right out from under their unsuspecting house-guests... and then treat you to lunch for "no particular reason" at all...

Friends like that are good ones to have...and keep...and not take advantage of....too often!!

Thanks, friends!! (You know who you are!)

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Blue lipped Boy...

Don't worry, no Heimlich horror stories to tell...

I was just reminded by SM's post of something Samsbane pulled on me Monday. I was working in the kitchen when he walked up to me grinning & holding up his arms, apparently wanting me to pick him up. I did..... and then had to wonder why on earth his lips & chin were brilliant turquoise blue?! So I wandered around the house for a good 10 minutes... just KNOWING we had nothing that he could have been eating that would have stained his lips so well.... but his lips were blue so obviously we did. Finally I found it... He had gotten hold of one of my birthday cards--a cool little one done on this weird paper that looks black until you write on it with a special pen--then the writing looks like funky ink splatter--all different colors. Anyway.... apparently Samsbane had decided that in the absence of the special writing pen he'd just lick the card for a while, hence the blue lips. (The "black" background is apparently just a concentration of blue pigments.)

Silly blue-lipped staple-eating boy!! I just can't wait to see what he pulls when he hits the "terrible twos" :-D

Friday, August 25, 2006

8 weeks to go....

...but I prefer to say 2 months, because that sounds like more time..... :blushes:

...'cause I still have a lot to do. :smiles:

...and 'cause I procrastinate (which has a habit of biting me in the butt). :grins:


But hey.... only 8 more weeks til I can sleep by myself again!! :very big grin:

Saturday, August 19, 2006

There's still time....................

Ice cream & sodas a-plenty..... go get your friends, then come & get some... We'll be here all day.................... :-D

Friday, August 18, 2006

Come one, come all....

Hubby came home early from work today with 2 gallons of ice cream (fudge ripple & Neapolitan).... and a 1/2 sheet cake... and a ton of 2 liters....

Y'all feel free to drop by tonight & help us consume this mother-lode of sugar... anytime after 6:30pm.......... if ya need directions, give us a call (though you might have to call LJ for our number ).

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Southerners.....

With the forewarning that I am a Yankee through & through, I have a comment.

Southerners.... can actually be genuinely nice people--and good neighbors.

That's all.....

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

91....108....56?!

Fasting blood sugar: 91

2 Hr post-sugar intake:108

So far... so good.

Blood sugar before lunch today: 56!! Whaaa?!??

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Aaah.....

Feet up, reading a book (Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time) found whilst unpacking those 24 boxes of books...

Ladies BS is over... only 10 or so weeks to go before BabyDragon2 arrives... gotta get the books read now--no time later!

Monday, August 7, 2006

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa................

Cheesecake is in the oven & will be for about another hour....

Bookshelves have moved indoors to finish the varnish curing process... humidity outside in the shed has hampered things a bit. Either way they will be filled with books by Tuesday night.

My men are both asleep, but my little girl is staying up to keep me company (or at least to give me a swift kick now & again as if to say "would you go to bed already?")

Wish I could, dearie... wish I could!!

Friday, August 4, 2006

Meh........

People are SO annoying!!

Especially when they don't know the difference between the definitions of hypothetical and rhetorical....

Especially when you find that out after taking every available waking moment in 13 hours to give input on a "hypothetical scenario"....... and then the basic response you get is... well I disagree, but I don't feel like taking the time to explain my position, but it's biblical... so I guess this is just a sticky wicket thing.

WT...????

Do not EVER invite me to respond to a hypothetical scenario, (and then after I do) inform me by way of your own lack of response that you weren't asking a hypothetical question after all, but a rhetorical one. That's what they call it when you ask a question you don't really want anyone else's input on...... or one on which your mind is already cemented in its own opinion... or at least that was the definition of rhetorical when I was in school.



end of rant... I think.....

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Ramblings, rantings........ meh.... Just life!

Have sent more rambling e-mails today (well, actually yesterday) than I care to count. My sincerest apologies if you were on the receiving end of any missive from yours truly. I tend to babble on and on and on and on when I'm thinking, and I've been thinking. (Didn't ya smell the smoke?) I also tend to babble when I'm high.... and I've been sanding, staining, sanding, and varnishing bookcases all weekend & today (well, Monday)...so I've got dust in the nose & fumes in the bloodstream... AND I had a big mug of highly caffeinated coffee after supper tonight..... not a good combination when my e-mail "IN" box is full. So, yea, my apologies to those who've heard from me recently.... I'm sure you heard more than you wanted to! :-P

Speaking of sanding and varnishing, I would rant about having to scrape newspaper out of drying varnish with a putty knife, but this sentence pretty much says everything printable on that topic!! Naturally it was the tops of the shelves that dried with newspaper adhered....... These stupid bookcases WILL be finished in time enough for the varnish to properly cure (and quit stinking) so I can drag them back into the living room & load them with the 24 boxes of books currently piled in the living room before I host this month's ladies Bible study at our house a week from tonight! *runs away screaming* And while I'm ranting about having 20+ women & teen girls invade my living space, may I mention that I have to provide food too?? Granted that I volunteered to host this month, and granted that I don't have to give the lesson (took my turn at that in February to get it over with for the year....they only thought I was kidding!)..... and granted that it's not a full meal, just finger food... but still!!! Current menu is blackberry cheesecake & "death by chocolate"-- (hey LJ, can I borrow your trifle bowl for that??) for the sweets, and chips -n- dip & a ham/broccoli/cheese braid for the non-sweets. Oh, and prolly a good thing if i had drinks too, eh?? I'll sure need one when this is all over!! Actually I like entertaining... it's just like I told LJ earlier this morning... why is it that I'm happiest when I have something to bitch & moan about??

Anyway, guess I've put off answering that last e-mail for long enough. As it actually requires some thought, I saved it for last...............

G'morning!!!

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Tax-Free Weekend....

For those of you/us in SC, NC, GA, and TN.... It's almost time to go shopping!! Thanks to Fieroshus for the heads up... August 4-6th are tax free for all 4 states, for anything that smacks of being school related. I suspect specific items vary from state to state, so you might want to check local info.

Oh, and how cool is this?? SC is having a second tax-free bash... for CHRISTMAS!!

While the August tax-free shopping weekend is limited to specific items, this year South Carolina legislators are giving shoppers an additional one-time, two-day sales tax break that will include ALL purchases. South Carolina will hold a second tax-suspension on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25, the weekend after Thanksgiving. Per the SC DOR, more info will be out later on that... but hey.... pretty cool, IF you want to join the Black Friday madness.

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Randomness....

Hubby's over the food poisoning (yep, I tried to kill him last week).

Baby Dragon #2 is kicking her way around inside.... but thus far seems determined to stay the course for the acceptable 40-some odd weeks--yeah for that!!

Samsbane (aka BD#1) is walking & babbling as though he has somewhere to be & something worth saying... although I'll be darned if I can make any sense of any of it! He too has recovered nicely from whatever was bugging his stomach last week (and the car-seat cover is freshly washed, if any one cares!)

Writing of funky smells in vehicles, the 'leaking very old trash bag' smell has finally dissipated from the Explorer--glad that's over with! (And yes, I miss the Ranger--at least if something leaked on the way to the dump you were still in an enclosed cab, as opposed to trapped with it in the Explorer.... in July....) *blech!*

Samsbane's FGM (fairy godmother) was here last weekend--just in time for her godson's GI distress. THAT was nice of him, eh?! She brought down a couple cool tee-shirts from the New England Aquarium (penguin themed of course), and a couple pink Phillies onesies for the new kid. Pink seems to be a good color for the Phillies these days, although I heard they managed to beat the Braves recently!!!!

I'm "enjoying serving" as head of the baby nursery at church. Had someone ask to drop out of the rotation today, citing involvement with toddler nursery during every am service. Apparently she doesn't want to miss all the AM services as well as one in somewhere between 4-8 evening services. Can't particularly say that I blame her, but if everybody that does "other stuff" on a regular basis does that, I'll wind up with like 4 people in rotation... and trust me, THAT won't go over well. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Maybe I'll institute the draft. Heh heh heh heh....

Made Italian hoagies yesterday. They were good. I was so fixated on how good they'd taste that I forgot to buy the diapers that I'd gone there to get. Like specifically... went to Publix because diapers were on sale, but figured I'd get sub stuff while I was there. Got there & was so excited about having subs again that I forgot the dang diapers. Of well!! (Yes, we still have enough on hand to last a couple more weeks... it's just the principle of forgetting the one thing I was going for.) Oh well.... at least the hoagies were good. If you forget how good they can be, read this..... it's my hoagie recipe!!

Enough randomness... time to go fix supper................

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Well now.... :-D

This should raise some eye-brows.

What's Your Theological Worldview?

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavily by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 96%
Reformed Evangelical 71%
Fundamentalist 71%
Neo orthodox 64%
Emergent/Postmodern 50%
Roman Catholic 36%
Classical Liberal 36%
Modern Liberal 29%
Charismatic/Pentecostal 29%


What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Sunday, July 9, 2006

Here she is...........



and a profile of her face....




...notice the open mouth... yakking already, just like her mamma!!!

If you wanted "proof of gender identity"...



This would all be more obvious if I could let you compare to Baby Dragon #1's ultrasound photo shoot.... but I can't so you'll have to take the tech's word for it.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Heh

You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon'. - Chris Rock

They think that they shall be heard for their much speaking....

... yep, that pretty much sums up the business meeting tonight. Since FireDrake made a comment about men talking over-much, or at least talking instead of thinking, I had to look up a quote I wanted to post as a comment to him. Here's the website that I found that quote on, as well as a few quotes I just HAD to post here, in case you don't want to go read the whole list. Most of these are about fools or ignorance, but there's a couple others in there just for fun. Enjoy!! :-D

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt" – Voltaire

"Those who speak do not know; those who know do not speak." -- Lao-Tse

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." – Unknown

"Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either; just leave me the hell alone."

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert Einstein

"The sum intelligence of the universe is a constant. Unfortunately, the population is increasing." – Unknown

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." -- Douglas Adams

"An educated fool is more foolish than an ignorant one." -- Moliere (1622-73)

"[University] is the fountain of knowledges, while everyone goes drinking." -- Unknown

"There are well-dressed foolish ideas, just as there are well-dressed fools." -- Nicolas Chamfort (c. 1740-94)

"Either a man does something, or he just talks about doing it." -- Unknown

I'm afraid the last 45 minutes of tonight's meeting would fall under the last quote. :-/


*EDIT* Well, OK. The meeting itself wasn't that bad (as far as new & current business went) but the topic of the building fund/building committee came up & made for some long "open discussion" as the meeting was otherwise over. I have a long rant (and actually made a speech) but I'll spare you the pain of reading it just now. Maybe later! heh heh heh *grins evilly*

P.S. If you want a few more quotes about intellect...or lack thereof, check out this site.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Church Elections... aka Annual business meetings

So.... can it really be called an "election" if only one person has been nominated for a particular position? I mean really.... ???


Y'all need to pray for me... I'm the only one up for nursery super. Not like I won't be spending every Sunday after Nov 1st in the nursery with my own newborn?!?!?!?

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Of Poison, pregnancy, physicians, & other things "P"

Things have been approaching the dusty side of quiet on Xanga, so I thought I'd post an update that nobody would care about anyway, just to say I contributed to the solution..... so here goes!

My poison ivy is entering it's third week... from wrists & arms to face & neck to torso & legs, I've had it pretty much everywhere & yes, I really do look like a freak escapee from the circus. But no, I don't look as bad as I did last week! The burns from the salt compress are healing nicely (don't ask), & rashes gradually seem to be subsiding--finally. It's not over til the fat lady sings.... right now she's thinking about warming up. Heh.

The pregnancy is progressing nicely. Am somewhere almost 22 weeks in--over halfway!! Yeah!! Thinking this one is going to like karate, gymnastics, or both. Today I'd have to say both. Whate'er the wee one is, wee one wants OUT. Best to wait though, and speaking of waiting or putting things off until later....

Finally saw my "real OB" physician today for one of two state-mandated "regular OB checkup" visits. Apparently DHEC thinks the midwives are incapable of fully managing prenatal care (but they're OK for delivery?!) Anyway, he says I'm fine, agrees with the midwives assessment of my due date at October 19th, and of course laughed at me for waiting halfway through the pregnancy before seeing any kind of medical professional at all. I didn't bother trying to tell him I had been busy with moving, acquiring new vehicles, chasing Samsbane, etc., etc.

Well, supper is ready, so any other things related to "p" will just have to wait. This mama is hungry!!

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

Kid's a-kick'in

Hubby got a good swift kick in the hand for his end-of-May present a few evenings ago. 'Tis always cool when Daddy first gets to feel the little one doing the Highland Fling.

Speaking of things related to baby.... spoke with the midwife of choice the other day. While we don't have our first meeting with her until tomorrow evening (sort-of a two way interview.. see if she's comfortable working with us & vice-versa), she did tell me that my due date is more like October 19th!! *Gulp* Guess we'll be retrieving that single bed from Chez Ramey sooner than I had thought 'cause Samsbane is going to need a place to sleep when the little one gets here!!!

Another cool thing about this midwife of choice.... my old OB just recommended her!!! I had kinda lost track of him after Samsbane was born because he left the practice I was with to open his own office. Well anyway, in the decision making process (home vs. hospital) for Baby Dragon #2, I had told hubby IF we were going the hospital route, I was going to change Dr's & go see my old OB at his new office. He's already been there & done that... and he's the Dr that called the hospital and told them "No, she doesn't *have* to have the "routine fluid IV." So there! -]

So yea anyway, I finally looked up his office online this afternoon & e-mailed him just to see if he knew of any midwives that he'd be willing to recommend. I figured he'd give me a hard time (or not answer the question at all) b/c I was asking for info on his "competition," but I just got an e-mail back from him like 15 minutes ago, listing the name of the midwife that we're meeting with tomorrow; says she's an excellent midwife, and that I "would be a very good candidate for a home birth, though with your record your husband might still be the one delivering." Funny guy!!

So cool!! The Lord works in mysterious ways to confirm His will.......



And as an extra treat, here's a new pic of the aforementioned Samsbane (aka Baby Dragon #1)



Thursday, June 1, 2006

THE DONKEY RAFFLE

A young hillbilly named Kenny, moved to Texas and bought a donkey from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.

The next day the farmer drove up and said, "sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died."

Kenny replied, "well, then, just give me my money back."

The Farmer said, "can't do that. I went and spent it already."

Kenny said, "OK, then, just bring me the dead donkey." The farmer asked, "what ya gonna do with him?"

Kenny said, "I'm going to raffle him off."

The farmer said, "you can't raffle off a dead donkey!"

Kenny said, "sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he is dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, "what happened with that dead donkey?"

Kenny said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece and made a profit of $998"

The farmer said, "didn't anyone complain?"

Kenny said, "just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."

Kenny eventually became the chairman of Enron.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Here's grace...

today'sTHOT
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When people complain that they don't get what they deserve, they don't know how fortunate they are.
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PASS IT ON! Yeah, you can send this Funny to anybody you want. And, if you're REAL nice, you'll tell them where you got it! www.mikeysFunnies.com

Friday, May 19, 2006

Friday night @ NCS

Kudos to the actors & directors of this evenings plays @ NCS. Y'all rocked!! =)

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Eureka.... Grace!!

Some of you may remember a question I posed a few months back, about a definition of grace that I had heard & was questioning.

"Grace is God's enabling power to do His will." Which in some vague, intangible, queasy sort of way sounds like works. (Yes, even to me it sounds weird.)

Well, in the midst of a firestorm I've started over parenting styles with a dear friend--rather, in the process of trying to figure out what she was flaming me for-- I found the following article which reveals the apparent source of this definition... Bill Gothard!! (Don't worry if you haven't heard of him, you're probably not going to hell for it!) Dunno where Gothard got that definition, but I do know the person who I first heard teaching that definition got it from Gothard's materials (or one of his constituent families).

Anyway..... Now that I've found the source (and you can read a bit about it here)... What think ye???

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Irony

defined as... being asked for counsel by one of the most godly women I know... on a topic which I struggle with immensely... and she knows it!

Thursday, May 4, 2006

Speaking of New Jersey...

Heather's Dad passed into the presence of the Lord yesterday morning. Per the Courier Post:

GEORGE PEDRICK DETWILER Was ushered into his Heavenly home on May 3, 2006 at home in Collingswood, NJ. Age 70 years.
Beloved husband of Phyllis (Nee Brown). Dear father of Heather Detwiler.
He is also survived by a cousin, John Pedrick of Pedricktown, NJ, a second cousin, Barney Beals of Collingswood, NJ, mother-in-law, Esther S. Brown and two sisters-in-law, Carol Healy and Shirley Brown.
Born at home in Collingswood on July 5, 1935, Mr. Detwiler was the Comptroller for Rapp Machinery Co. of Fort Washington, PA for many years and later retired from The Continental Bank (now PNC Bank). He was a member of the Heritage Baptist Church, Mt. Laurel, NJ.
He served his community as a volunteer member of the Collingswood Fire Company for over 43 years and was their Chaplain and Financial Secretary. Mr. Detwiler was the treasurer of the Collingswood Firemen's Relief Assoc. and a life member of the NJ State Fireman's Assoc.
He was a trustee and the treasurer of the Knight Park. One of his greatest joys was to see the three fountains and paved walking path around Knight Park all in place during his tenure.
Mr. Detwiler was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the John Howland Society, the Gideon's International and the Alumni Assoc. of Bob Jones University of Greenville, SC.
Mr. Detwiler was a past member of the Haddon Heights Baptist Church where he served as a youth group leader, visual aid assistant, usher, trustee and deacon. He was also a board member and treasurer for the Baptist High School.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Service on Saturday, 11:00 AM at the Haddon Heights Baptist Church, 3rd & Station Aves., Haddon Heights, NJ. Interment Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, NJ. Friends may call Sat. after 9:30 AM at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Heritage Christian Academy, 530 Union Mill Rd., Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054 or The Knight Park Trustees, P.O. Box 8731, Collingswood, NJ 08108 or any of the worthy organizations mentioned above.
Arrangements by the FOSTER-WARNE FUNERAL HOME, Collingswood, NJ.

Saturday, April 29, 2006

From Jersey? Heck yes, I am!!!

New Jersey is a peninsula.

Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.

New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky.

New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq mi.) than Havana, Cuba.

New Jersey has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US.

New Jersey has the highest cost of living.

New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance.

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation.

New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the "Diner Capital of the World."

New Jersey is home to the original Mystery Pork Parts Club (no, not Spam): Taylor Ham or Pork Roll.

Home to the less mysterious but the best Italian hot dogs and Italian sausage w/peppers and onions.

North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, with seven major shopping malls in a 25 square mile radius.

New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine ride by inventor John P. Holland.

The Great Falls in Paterson, on the Passaic River, is the second highest waterfall on the East Coast of the US.

New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns -- some of the nation's most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch, Cape May.

New Jersey has more stringent testing along our coastline for water quality control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.

New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation when you include pharmaceuticals.

Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.

You haven't lived until you have eaten New Jersey sweet Corn.

New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production (and here you thought Massachusetts?)

Here's to New Jersey - the toast of the country! In 1642, the first brewery in America, opened in Hoboken.

New Jersey rocks! The famous Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah, in 1940.

New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US, located in Elizabeth. Nearly 80 percent of what our nation imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.

New Jersey is home to one of the nation's busiest airports (in Newark), Liberty International.

George Washington slept here. Several important Revolutionary War battles were fought on New Jersey soil, led by General George Washington.

The light bulb, phonograph (record player), and motion picture projector, were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park, NJ, laboratory.

We also boast the first town ever lit by incandescent bulbs.

The first seaplane was built in Keyport, NJ.

The first airmail (to Chicago) was started from Keyport, NJ.

The first phonograph records were made in Camden, NJ.

New Jersey is home to the Miss America Pageant held in Atlantic City.

The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named the streets on its playing board after the actual streets in Atlantic City.

And, Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world,

Not to mention salt water taffy...

New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East countries.

The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey, in the Watchung Mountains.

New Jersey has the tallest water-tower in the world. (Union, NJ!!!)

New Jersey had the first medical center, in Jersey City.

The Pulaski SkyWay, from Jersey City to Newark, was the first skyway highway.

NJ built the first tunnel under a river, the Hudson (Holland Tunnel).

The first baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ, which is also the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.

The first intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick in 1889 (Rutgers College played Princeton).

The first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, NJ, (but they're all gone now!).

New Jersey is home to both of "NEW YORK'S" pro football teams!

The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson, NJ.

The first FM radio broadcast was made from Alpine, NJ, by Maj. Thomas Armstrong.

All New Jersey natives: Moe Septee, Al Attermann, Howard Attermann, Sal Martorano, Jack Nicholson, Robert Attermann, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Jason Alexander, Steve Rosenbaum, Queen Latifah, Susan Sarandon, Connie Francis, Sam Rosenfarb, Shaq, Judy Blume, Aaron Burr, Ruth Septee, Joan Robertson, Ken Kross, Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughn, Lt. Aaron Attermann, Budd Abbott, Lou Costello, Alan Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, Marilynn McCoo, Flip Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, Whitney Houston, Eddie Money, Lauren Sasha Attermann, Linda McElroy, Eileen Donnelly, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Walt Whitman, Jerry Lewis, Tom Cruise, Joyce Kilmer, Bruce Willis, Caesar Romero, Lauryn Hill, Ice-T, Nick Adams, Nathan Lane, Sandra Dee, Danny DeVito, Richard Conti, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Robert Blake, John Forsythe, Meryl Streep, Loretta Swit, Norman Lloyd, Paul Simon, Jerry Herman, Gorden McCrae, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Phyllis Newman, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Eva Marie Saint, Elisabeth Shue, Zebulon Pike, Elisa Septee Lunzer, Neal Attermann, James Fennimore Cooper, Admiral Wm.Halsey,Jr., Dave Thomas (Wendy's), William Carlos Williams, Ray Liotta, Robert Wuhl, Bob Reyers, Paul Robeson, Ernie Kovacs, Joseph Macchia and, of course, Francis Albert Sinatra and "Uncle Floyd" Vivino, Kelly Ripa.



You know you're from Jersey when . . .

You don't think of fruit when people mention "The Oranges."

You know that it's called Great Adventure, not Six Flags. (been there)

A good, quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter.

You've known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven.

You've eaten at a diner, when you were stoned or drunk, at 3 A.M. (yep)

You know that the state isn't one big oil refinery.

At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen, and you know the town Jon Bon Jovi is from.

You know what a "jug handle" is. (LOL)

You know that WaWa is a convenience store.

You know that the state isn't all farmland.

You know that there are no "beaches" in New Jersey--there's the shore--and you don't go "to the shore," you go "down the shore." And when you are there, you're not "at the shore"; you are "down the shore."

You know how to properly negotiate a circle.

You knew that the last sentence had to do with driving.

You know that this is the only "New" state that doesn't require "New" to identify it (try . . . Mexico . . . York . . . Hampshire-- doesn't work, does it?).

You know that a "White Castle" is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich.

You consider putting mayo on a corned beef sandwich a sacrilege.

You don't think "What exit?" is very funny.

You know that people from the 609 area code are "a little different." Yes they are! (my folks live there.... and I grew up in 609 ... explain anything?!)

You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton--that's for out-of-staters.

The Jets-Giants game has started fights at your school or local bar.

You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls.

You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers.

Every year you have at least one kid in your class named Tony.

You know the location of every clip shown in the Sopranos opening credits.

You've gotten on the wrong highway trying to get out of the mall.

You know that people from North Jersey go to Seaside Heights, and people from Central Jersey go to Belmar, and people from South Jersey go to Wildwood. It can be no other way.

You weren't raised in New Jersey--you were raised in either North Jersey, Central Jersey or South Jersey. (South for me)

You don't consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state.

You remember the stores Korvette's, Two Guys, Rickel's, Channel, Bamberger's and Orbach's.

You also remember Palisades Amusement Park and Olympic Park.

You've had a boardwalk cheese steak and vinegar fries.

You start planning for Memorial Day weekend in February.

And finally . . .

You've NEVER, EVER pumped your own gas. (At least til I came to SC)...

Monday, April 24, 2006

Last day

Last day of the madness....er... let the madness begin. Unless we decide to pull out and get "as far as we can" tonight, tomorrow begins our long trek home.

Phariseeism

I thought in light of recent posts (and experiences) y'all might enjoy reading this post.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

6 kids....

Yep, my sister-in-law has 6 of 'em.... and they're ALL outside running around like banshees.... so it's quiet enough in here for my to hit Xanga & still hear myself think.

We've hit Maine, Massachusetts, and New York..... and I'm being hailed to go on a power walk... with a 6 year old in tow. THIS should be interesting!!! ;-)

Gotta go........................... walking.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Heather's Dad...

Got an update (or just more info) from Heather yesterday (Friday)...

"The doctors have told us that it is a malignant mass (glioblastoma malignant form - grade 4). They say it is the worst kind of brain tumor you can get. They implanted chemo wafers in the brain during surgery. They can do intense chemo and radiation, but they say the tumor will come back and come back with even more of a vengeance than this one. They also said that with all the treatments he has 2 years, without any treatment he has 6 months. This has greatly affected his memory and thinking process, he can't tell us what he is thinking, or what he wants any more - keeps saying one thing but meaning something entirely different -- nothing that he says makes much sense any more. He is not "there". We will start the treatments and see what happens. We don't want him to suffer."

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Update

Update on my friend Heather's dad.... apparently he had surgery this morning (well, Tuesday morning)...

Dad's surgery was roughly 4 and 1/2 hours. He will spend the evening in the recovery room and probably be moved to ICU tomorrow.
The doctors did talk to us and they told us that they feel they got 95% of the tumor - however it is malignant. They have planted Chemo. wafers in the brain, and as he recovers they will then decide what to do next.
We did get to see him for a short time while he was in recovery, he doesn't seem good, as an added problem in addition to all his heart problems he also has sleep apnea and will stop breathing every so often - which is showing up on the many machines. It is to the point I don't know how to pray anymore - I just don't want Dad to suffer.
Heather

Please keep heather & her folks (George & Phyllis) in your prayers. They know & love the Lord, so they have comfort in Him.... but still... we're human....

We're off.... like a turd of hurdles!

Leaving in the wee hours of tomorrow morning to retreive the Ford Explorer. Yeah!!

Friday, April 7, 2006

To pack.... or just to throw it all out??

Heh. Can you tell I'm tired of packing??

Have been on-line for like 2 hours straight IM-ing & catching up on Xanga.... still haven't eaten supper.

Kid is sleeping as of 7pm. Guess those shots at the Dr's today wore him out (or maybe it was only having one 1/2 hour nap all day long?!).

Hubby is out at a preliminary "we're thinking of re-working the church constitution" meeting. Dum-de-dum-dum..... (sounds of doom & destruction are sure to follow).

Late breaking news (isn't IM great?!)... just found out my old college roomie's dad's brain tumor (stagnant/stable in size since they first found it while installing a pace-maker in '03) has doubled in size since his last CT scan in October '05. Please pray. My old roomie still lives at home (part of the curse of working for a small Christian school... starvation wages)... so she's very involved in the health-care stuff for her Dad. Fortunately her mom is also there & competent.... but it's a very unexpected trial right now.

Welp, I'm starving. Off to eat. :-D

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Packing?? Packing? What's that??

Up until today, I had packed only one box in the month of March...... but hey, I have lots of excuses for that!! :-D The truck fiasco... trying to get all the little details worked out for closing on the house... having BD#1 turn 1 last Friday... massive exhaustion--just because.....baby dragon #2 is coming!!! :-)

Anyway, you'll all be glad to know that I got 3 boxes packed during the kid's morning nap. No more mugs or tea pots available, so don't plan on having anything hot to drink if you happen to wander this way before we move!! ;-)

Speaking of moving, at this point we're planning to officially move in at the end of April. At least, when we paid rent for April we told the landlady at we'd be gone at the end of the month!! (Anyone want to rent a trailer in the woods?) The biggest hurdle blocking this end-of-April move is the fact that we're going to be taking a 13-day trip to points north during April O.O for the purpose of picking up the "new to us" Ford Explorer from Hubby's Dad. -] So.... our plan is to pack madly in the 2 weeks between now & leaving for the Nawth, then rent a moving truck on that last weekend of April (just a day or two after TF's house closing!)

Hubby is amusing himself by grabbing random things he doesn't think we'll need between now and then & filling the little Accord we're borrowing for nightly trips to the new house. All the folding chairs went over last night, so if you come by before official move day, at least you'll have some place to sit!! Once we get all moved in, I'll post an invite for an afternoon tea... or maybe it should be an evening coffee.... we'll see!! ;-)

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Saturday, March 18, 2006

March 28th ?!?!?!?!

Well... have spent more time making & receiving phone calls over the last 2 weeks than at any other time in my short 31 years... with the possible exception of the days just after Baby Dragon #1 was born. Note to self: When next child is born, be sure to take phone off the hook... for like... a month.... or longer...

But, on the bright side, it does look like things are finally settled. We have the Ramey vehicle til Wednesday the 22nd, then we're borrowing another car from a family at church until the 12th of April when we'll be renting a car to drive Nawth in for a family vacation /// show off great-/grand kid /// pick up our 'new' Ford Explorer trip. Once we get back to SC, we'll be renting a moving truck & transferring a big load of.... um.... stuff to our new house.

Speaking of the new house, looks like we'll be closing on the 28th or so of March. Since we were all pre-approved for the loan, financing is no big deal & the whole progressing-toward-closing process is moving along rather rapidly. Not necessarily with the speed and precision of the German trains, but perhaps more reliably on-time than the Italian ones! The building inspector is hired, as is the termite inspector...

I'm sure we're forgetting something massive but since we're forgetting it, I dunno what it is!!! This week I decided to throw a head cold into the mix, so my throat has not been loving the extended hours on the phone. I'm sure, however, that BD#1 & Hubby have been enjoying the peace & quiet when I've been off the phone!! :-D

So.... since I've had a massive two weeks of non-stop talking, we decided to take a day off. This morning we slept in (til all of 7:45 when a certain young man's babbling at the top of his lungs woke me up), then had a leisurely breakfast. Hubby cooked. Score!!!

Now we're hanging out in the wonderfully quiet Chez Ramey, killing time while the babe naps before heading up to the Circle M BBQ (345 Martin Sausage Road, Liberty SC 29657 - (864) 375-9133) joint to get some wicked good BBQ for supper on our way back to Greenville. Yum!!! They're open til 9pm tonight... anyone wanna come join us???


I'm sure I won't be on-line much for the next month or so... got a lot of boxes of... stuff to pack. Heh.


A LOT of boxes!!

Anyway, thought some of you might enjoy seeing what the little one was up to at Chez Ramey before he went down for his afternoon nap. (Sorry about the once-neat piles of CDs LJ!!)

















Welp, the last load of laundry has dinged in the dryer, so I'd best be off before everything wrinkles. Chow!!

Saturday, March 11, 2006

They accepted!!

Well, we got the call this afternoon, our offer was accepted... now we have a bit more than a month to come up with financing, insurance, etc. and be all ready to sign on the house. With the way that the Lord has worked everything else out this week (it's not every week you're given an Explorer AND a house!!), I'm sure the next steps will work out as well. The Lord is Good!

Friday, March 10, 2006

We did it!!

We survived this week... with a gracious plenty help from the Lord!

From our truck being flipped by an idiot hit-n-run (unlicensed & uninsured) driver to making an offer on a cute little house nicely located near work & church, to finding out we're expecting Baby Dragon #2, it's been an interesting week.

TGIF!!!

Saturday, March 4, 2006

MND at NCS

Awesomeness....

The gang at NCS did a bang-up job of their final performance of MND (Mid-summer Night's Dream). Kudos to the actors & directors & all the behind the scenes peoples for a GREAT job done!

"Well roared, lion." Heh.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Maybe??

So we wonder...... Have we found "the" house???

We've definitely found houses.... (count is still at 46 b/c we're taking this weekend "off.") We've found nice houses in crappy neighborhoods, we've found nice houses in OK neighborhoods but with yards smaller than 1/10th of an acre (and that one was next door to a water-treatment plant), we've found nasty houses in nice neighborhoods, and yes, even several nasty houses in nasty neighborhoods... and don't forget the one that smelled of recently-smoked pot--which was in Anderson, I hasten to add.

You'd think we were being picky. Yanno, no broken windows, not the ONLY framed house on the street (what's with Southerners' love-affair w/ trailers anyway?!?), at least 1/2 acre for yard space, not too many miles from hubby's office... That's really all we're asking!! That's not so much is it?? *whines* Come on.. three freaking criteria: livable house, decent neighborhood, nice yard. But we've been finding out by sheer force of looking that these three are not *quite* all available at the same time in our price range.... and by our price range I mean we're NOT sending me back to work or hubby to get a 2nd job over a house--not over ANY house.

But..... whining aside, after two months of recreational (and not-so-recreational) house-hunting on-line & by truck we've found a house. We're not jumping up & down saying it's the most wonderful house imaginable, but we've learned a few things over the past few months of house hunting. We're going to have to go with 2 & 1/2 of 3. It's got a great yard (just over an acre of land), it's in a relatively quiet established neighborhood... and the house meets all of our "minimum requirements"... like 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, non-leaking roof. It's currently being remodeled, and so far they're doing a great job of things. Nice neutral colors, good workmanship, modernizing/updating, etc. It's a little smaller than we would have liked (especially after living a trailer for the last 8 years), but it's definitely bigger than where we are now.

So.... we're dragging a friend over to see it tomorrow.. one of that wonderful kind of friend who's remodeled every house he's ever purchased & had already volunteered to help us give any possibilities a once-over.... Not that we wouldn't hire a building inspector eventually, but he's got a good eye for things that we probably wouldn't notice right off that could make it a no deal after all (before we spend any $$ on an inspector). Anyway... said friend is getting le grand tour of la casa tomorrow with us & the realtor again.. we'll see what he thinks & go on from there.

Put it this way, it's the first house that we've seen that we've both said... "Yea, this'll work!" And after 46 houses, that's a nice thing to hear!!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Another Wednesday....

I used to post a lot on Wednesdays (back before Christmas)... maybe that when I'm finally caught up from the weekend & have a minute to think. Maybe it's just because Wednesdays are boring.... anyway....

We've now seen 46 houses. O.O If there were a cross-eyed face, I'd go for that one instead. They're not exactly starting to blur together, but getting close (the houses I mean). I guess the good news is we've finally seen everything in our price-range in the areas from which we're interested in commuting.... So now we wait, as the flurry of new listings begins, dear folks trying to find a another domicile before the next school year begins..... and we're not out of 3rd quarter yet?! So we'll see. In the mean time, maybe the kid will get to enjoy one weekend w/o his butt being slung in a car-seat so Mommy & Daddy can drag him around the countryside looking for a yard for him.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Welp...

The hunt is still on. First really nice house we found (in our price range) is being closed on this weekend, and not by us. I'm sure this will happen several more times before we find what we want.....

In the mean time... I'm packing boxes for the first time in 11 years.... which is incredible considering my parents moved like 20 times before I was 20! O.O The move in here with hubby (over 8 years ago) doesn't count, b/c I didn't bother boxing anything up... most of my stuff was still boxed from moving to SC in '95, and the rest of it we just threw in the back of his car over the few weeks before the wedding. It's hard to believe we've lived here for 8 years..... longest I'd ever lived in one place before that was 4 years. I love my hubby. He's good to me! The Lord sure gave me a good one!! -]

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Hoagies...

1 head of Lettuce
2 ripe Tomatoes
1 Onion
1 jar hot banana peppers
1 jar Sweets & Hots (more peppers for the uninitiated)
8oz Beano's Original Submarine dressing
4 fresh baked crusty-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside torpedo rolls
1/2 lb ham capicolla
1/3 lb slicing pepperoni
1/4 lb pepper ham
1/4 lb THIN sliced Genoa salami
1/3 lb aged provolone cheese

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4 wicked good hoagies... enjoyed tonight with friends from PA. Sorry, no leftovers! :-D

Sunday, February 5, 2006

Saturday, February 4, 2006

And the hunt continues... OR... 13 houses in 5 1/2 hours...

We went house-hunting again today. Had out the Pickens & Anderson Co maps, and print-outs on 15 houses. Found 13 of 'em. #14 must not exist--nothing but woods where the house should have been--blast MapQuest!!

Skipped #15 b/c it was the most expensive on our list but with the fewest bathrooms, also the furthest away from hubby's work, and was in down-town Anderson--our apologies to you Andersonians reading here, but there were just too many strikes against it.

So... we saw 13 houses today. Actually might be interested in a couple of them. Haven't quite reached "oh, that's our DREAM house" status yet, but one was pretty close.... we've actually initiated contact with the realtor over that one. We'll see.....

Thursday, February 2, 2006

Wash me with hyssop...

Exodus 12:21-24 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that [is] in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite [you]. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
Hubby and I are working on reading through the Bible this year.... Anyway, middle of last month landed us in Exodus 12, dealing with the first Passover. As we were reading through the verses above, I had one of those *ding--light going on* moments that I thought I'd share.. but first a bit of background.

Back when I was in 5th grade, we were attending Newport Baptist Church--very near the homestead of the Knipe family. The church tossed out a challenge to us kids: memorize Psalm 51 and bring 3 visitors to SS between now (the fall)and the following summer & the church would sponsor us for summer camp. I still remember c-o-l-d winter mornings, mom waiting with me for the bus drilling me on Psalm 51. :-) Well, I never went to camp, but I did get the major part of Psalm 51 down cold. It starts: Have mercy upon me oh God, according to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquities & cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions & my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest & be clear when thou judgest. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness..........
So last month as hubby and I are reading in Exodus 12 about the Passover, the hyssop imagery hit me... hard. See, Psalm 51 has always been my favorite "repentance" passage. Purge me with hyssop. I've kinda viewed it as the OT equivalent of 1 John 1:9 ...if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive--especially with David's reference to the restoration of the joy of salvation. But as it occurred to me, that (the believer's repentance) might not be the big point.

Ultimately, the hyssop imagery is salvific. It wasn't the hyssop plant itself that was in focus--it was the blood in which the hyssop was dipped. The Israelites didn't have to stand outside all night, dipping the hyssop & re-applying blood to the doorposts. They were to do it once & then stay inside. The blood did the work. So, too, for me today. 'Tis the washing in His blood that makes me whiter than snow. I don't have to keep dipping the hyssop, so to speak. I'm forgiven--freed, by His blood.

Bottom line?? It's not the hyssop that was so important... it was the blood of the Lamb.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Great quote of the month...

Well, OK, so it's from last year, but I finally remembered it correctly so I decided to post it.

Hubby on the topic of forwarding junk e-mails (after receiving the same hoax e-mail for the 3rd or 4th time in a week):

"This is why I don't forward e-mail. It's like putting the junk mail from our USPS box into an envelope and sending it to a friend. If I wouldn't do it with my junk mail, why would I do it with e-mail? Just put it in the trash where it belongs."

Thursday, January 26, 2006

252 pages....

I'm in the process of downloading a 252 page .pdf file..... at 24000 bps this might take a while!! O.O

Kid hit 10 months this week... the horses were just outside my window, eating the shrubbery... house hunting is at a stand-still while I get caught up from the ladies retreat this past weekend.

And speaking of the ladies retreat....

Would someone care to explain how it is that 18 grown Christian women can act like Jr Hi-ers (or younger) for 36 hours straight??

Suffice it to say I've just been reminded why it was that I hung out with the guys when I was growing up (women are way too catty). I've also been handed a topic for the Mother-Daughter Banquet on a silver platter. Heh heh. These ladies are used to a sugar and syrup devotional at these functions. After this past weekend, I feel like playing Wack-a-Mole.

OK, maybe Wack-a-Mole sounds a bit harsh..... but the Mother-Daughter Banquet isn't until May, so I've got a while to soften my approach.

Don't get me wrong, the retreat was great, I just feel the need to find a nice way to stomp on some toes.... Since gossip is such a feminine weakness & since Pastor just asked me to be the "special speaker" for said M-D banquet, I think I have a ready-made topic! 36 hours in the making, to be precise! :-D

Of course when I'm done Pastor may regret having asked me... muwaaahahahaha

Monday, January 16, 2006

9 Houses in 4 hours.....

The one that looked the best on paper had an inch & a half of water standing in the basement. *sighs* Back to the searching again. =)

On the good news front, hubby likes the cute little house that was $145K. Heh heh...

..............waiting for owners to get REALLY desperate!!

..........waiting.............. waiting..............waiting..............

Thursday, January 12, 2006

I found a house Tuesday...

I found a house Tuesday... I had the brilliant idea of buying street maps of Pickens & Anderson counties (where we're looking to buy property), so we could get some perspective on where properties were that we were finding on-line. So... where's the best place to find a good local map?? At an old local gas station. So off I go out 183 towards Pickens and stop at the first gas station I come to. Go in, find the maps, head to the counter to make my first house-related purchase.... As is typically the case here in SC, the cashier engaged me in conversation, and managed to find out that I was purchasing said map to aid in house hunting.

She volunteered the information that the property next to hers was for sale. "It's a really nice house," she exclaimed. "We just couldn't believe it when they put it on the market; it's a big two-story place. We never thought they'd ever sell it. It has it's own well and everything." I inquired as to the purchase price (she didn't know, they wouldn't tell her when she asked). She did give me directions though, so I could go see the house of her dreams. I assumed since it was a big two-story house it would be out of our price range, but I decided to take a drive-by anyway. Imagine my surprise when the big two-story house turned out to be... um.... not big?! It's actually a really cute little house. -]

Only half of it has an upper story, and the well she was raving about..... Remember back a few years ago when *everybody* has those fake wishing-well things in their yards?? Heh. This one looks like if you leaned on it while making a wish, it'd fall over!! Definitely not a well to drink water from like we have now. Hee hee. Anyway, I wrote down the number of the office/listing agent. Hubby & kid & I are going to do a drive-by on Saturday. If he likes the looks of it, we'll call & see about getting a showing.

My bet is that it was built in the 30's. It's a really snug looking place.. think "cute little cozy cottage" and you'll have a pretty good idea. It looks smaller than a Cape Cod.......... I've got no idea how many bedrooms it might have, I guess we'll have to wait & see. It had a detached garage, paved driveway & sidewalks here & there, a nicely wooded lot, established shrubbery--something hard to find down here. It really looks like a little old couple used to live there... the kind of little old couple that are really nice & sweet & always took really good care of everything. I fell in love with it when I saw it, but we're a L-O-N-G way off of doing anything (other than driving around & getting ideas about what's out there). The last place we looked at (on-line) turned out to be the only framed house in the middle of 2 square miles of dumpy trailers......

So there you have what I was going to post Wednesday... but since you so patiently waited, I'm going to reward you with an update!!

I called the realtor at 5:01 yesterday afternoon & asked the listing price for said cute little house. "$145,000," he said, "but I talked to the owners a little bit ago, and they're thinking of coming down on the price. They mentioned $132,000 (said in tone of derision)." Apparently the owners are making payments on two properties & want to get out from under this one. It's a 3 bed/2 bath house with 400 sq ft of unfinished attic-like space upstairs on 2 acres (which the agent is willing to show us anytime), centrally located between Berea, Pickens & Pumpkintown.

I think the owners must be smoking something.... That's a nice sized lot & the house looks to be in good shape too, but $145K???? They're nuts!! This is Pickens Co. for Pete's sake!!!! Even $132K is over-priced for the location. Granted that it's the nicest house on the street, but the property next door is your run-of-the-mill red-neck abode of choice, (aka trailer). The neighborhood isn't in an up and coming area..... it's just over-priced.

Of course as first-time home buyers on a single income, we can't afford any where near either price anyway.... but if hubby likes the looks of it, we just might eventually call & ask for a showing. If the owners get desperate enough.............

Wednesday, January 4, 2006

Words

Words... some are 4-lettered... some that aren't should be. =) OK. Got that out of my system. Received a letter from my folks this week (that has nothing to do with 4 lettered words). Turns out my mom wrote a poem just before being diagnosed with diabetes.... back before she had a clue as to why everything physical was going so weird on her. Apparently Mom & Dad thought I'd gotten a copy of said poem, because when it came up around Christmas time they both acted like I should have a clue as to what they were talking about. I didn't... but that's not unusual. ;-) Anyway..... thought I'd share it.

The Lord is my Potter

The Lord is my Potter.
I am the clay, the work of Your hand.
When I see the awesome beautiful universe
You created out of nothing spinning in place
I have complete confidence in You.

My life will not spin out of your control.
The closer I stay to the center of Your wheel
The less I get thrown off balance as You dig out the grit -
My willful, rebellious, selfishness - sin.

I am aware of being in the hollow of Your hand
As you gently pressure me with Your fingertips.
I know I am safe as You turn my life to remake
What I have marred and messed up, so others
Can see You in my life -- Your own special design.

You encourage me as I see You work in other's lives.
I am Your clay. Christ is in me, the hope of glory.
I am complete in You. You are my hope.
Do what You see is best. You see the finished project.

Thank You Father, Potter; Lord Jesus Christ, Savior;
Holy Spirit, Guide in my life that I will be
In Your showcase of Your overflowing grace
Through all eternity - a trophy of Your grace.

--Grace J.G.R. early summer 2004