Super Duper Hugs - Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Thirteen Hiatus

I’m taking a hiatus from Thursday Thirteen for a while. Not because I don’t enjoy participating, but because I am needing to bear down in my online class. The course is teaching me how to pull everything together that I have learned so far to design effective web sites. It is challenging me in a whole new way - https://www.joom.com/en/best/spiderman-mask-adult

TT has been very good for me, helping me expand my writing skills. It isn’t easy to pick a topic and write about 13 things–especially if they are related items. TT is an excellent tool to challenge my pea brain.

I’ll still be around, but you will hear from me less often for the next 3 to 4 weeks. I need to spend more time designing a site for my imaginary tea room. (Oh, if only I had the means to open this business - https://www.joom.com/en/best/logitech-g413-keyboard ! It is fabulous.)

Wordy Wednesday

While eating lunch a few days ago in the cafeteria at work, a former student came in for a visit. (She homeschools now.) I haven’t seen her for a very long time, and she has grown into a lovely 16-year-old. My husband and I used to eat lunch with her every day when I was principal of the school. She sort of adopted us, preferring to be with us instead of with the other kids. Several times a week she gave me beautiful gifts of angels drawn on notebook paper. I still have many of them.

It was great to see her. She had matured and was light years beyond where we last saw her - https://www.joom.com/en/best/siren-alarm-sound .

“I have something for you.” She reached into a bag and pulled out a huge bag of cookies. “I made them and decorated them this morning.” They were gorgeous! Planning to take just one, she said, “No. They are all yours.” She handed me a bag that had my name written on the outside. Wow! That’s a lot of cookies for 2 people. Then she pulled out another bag that had DH’s name on it. Mama mia! That’s a TON of cookies!

What an honor that she would go to all that trouble for us! Every cookie was a different shape and was uniquely hand-decorated. They were very thick; most were 4″ to 6″ wide. Were they yummy? YOU BET! However, I could not bring myself to eat the Jesus cookie. How do you eat a Jesus cookie? I just couldn’t. The second cookie is her signature angel. She is so creative! (Click https://www.joom.com/en/best/golf-tyler-the-creator for larger view.)

In Other Words #2

Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done.”

~ C.S. Lewis ~

It’s 5:15 a.m. My alarm is set to my favorite radio station because I can’t stand the bleating noise of the buzzer, which is unnecessary anyway. I always wake on my own. This particular morning my eyes fly open at the exact moment the first note of a song lifts itself to the Heavens.

“Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God, my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.”

As the music flows, and the words bless, God pours His spirit on me, filling my soul with https://www.joom.com/en/best/large-wooden-letters presence. This is a special birthday gift from my Heavenly Father in His perfect timing.

“Morning by morning new mercies I see. . . Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow. . . .”

I am not a morning person by choice, but I love it when I can go outside and enjoy the sunrise. In the early morning hours with nature as a backdrop, it’s just God and me as tendrils of pink and orange move across the sky, chasing away the night. There are no physical barriers to impede my communication with God, no ceiling to hold my prayers at bay. The cool, cleansing air holds the promise of a fresh new day, sweeps away the remnants of yesterday, and reminds me that every day, in Christ, I am made new.

Yesterday I meant to be faithful. I tried to be faithful. I tried to be His honorable daughter. I want to be perfect. It used to be easier; I used to be stronger. But life has a way of surprising you and beating the stuffing out of you. Thankfully, no matter how miserably I have failed, each day that I get another opportunity to draw breath, I have another day to serve Him better. To make https://www.joom.com/en/best/belarus-flag better choices.

It has been my precious privilege to teach my 9-year-old granddaughter to grab these moments as well. When she spends the night, she always asks me to get her up early so we can “go outside and watch the sunrise.” In those blessed moments wrapped up together in a blanket like a burrito in the swing, sipping hot cocoa, there are no limitations. We talk about what a marvelous God we have. We talk about how God hears and answers our prayers. We talk about how sad it is that not everyone knows God. She asks me hard questions, such as why God allows bad things to happen. And sometimes we talk about when we get mad at God because it seems He isn’t answering our prayers. We talk to God in our every-day voices, because He is right there with us. Our forever friend. We worship with all our hearts as He floods us with His presence, accented by the new dawn flooding the sky with hope, making the darkness disappear in our surroundings and in our hearts.

“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24

Oh God, thank You for not consuming me as I deserve. Thank You, Father, for compassions that fail not. Thank You for new mercies each morning! You are my portion, the filler of my soul. Without the renewal of morning, there would be no hope. Joy comes in the morning.

New Books

I am having a ball looking at children’s books again but through a different set of eyes. I am evaluating these books (and others) for my class on Writing for Children. Many things have changed in the world of books since I was a child. They are more complex—most teach more than just reading https://www.joom.com/en/best/unfinished-wood-box —and the subject matter is very different. Yet, here they are, the Dick and Jane series, all over again. It’s fun to look at these books and remember being a little girl.

I was not the best reader in my first grade class. Far from it. When we had to read out loud, I read very slowly, stumbling on the words. Somewhere it all finally kicked in. You’d think I would have learned to read quickly since I was read to so much as a child. Go figure.

The Firefighter book astounds me. It is a level 1 Beginning to Read book with full color photographs.

“Rob and Pete inspect the restaurant. Is the fire exit light on?”

Beginning to Read???? My goodness! Compare https://www.joom.com/en/best/cyberpunk-clothing with the Dick and Jane books!

Another part of my assignment was to look at early chapter books. I looked and looked for topics that seemed interesting. Didn’t find any. In this early stage of reading I found plenty of fantasy books, books on super heroes, and books on American Presidents. Oh, I also found a book on sailing a boat. It looked like an encyclopedia article. Where were the good books? Didn’t find any. There didn’t seem to be a middle ground between completely shallow and completely biographical. Not at this particular book store, anyway.

What books did you enjoy as a child? What are you reading to your children or grandchildren? What are their favorite books? I’d love to know.

Paper Clips

I haven’t posted a pet peeve yet, so I guess it’s time. We all have those little, insignificant annoyances that drive us to the edge of good reason. We try to ignore them, but sometimes they just get the best https://www.joom.com/en/best/jackolantern-faces of us. You know what I mean. You have them, too.

Take paper clips. Today at the office I needed to replenish the stock in my desk drawer. I went to the supply cabinet where all good paper clips dwell. Hmmm….where are they? Aha! There they are! All nestled snug and safe in that butter tub that someone so tenderly washed and donated. I grabbed a handful and escorted them to my desk.

I laid them on my desktop to make sure they weren’t daisy-chained. I hate that. You reach for a clip while holding a handful of papers and pick up a whole string of them. You have no choice but to stop and try to separate the offending objects.

I began to sort them. All I wanted was a handful of cooperative paper clips. That’s all https://www.joom.com/en/best/adult-minnie-mouse-costume. The problem was that these had been hanging around a while. A loooooong while. Many were so sprung from years of abuse they would no longer hold any papers. That’s no good. I tossed them. (DON’T tell my boss!)

Next to go were the oxidized clips. You know, the kind that should carry a warning stating, “Use only if your tetanus shots are up to date.” All the finish was worn off, and they almost looked rusty. By the time I tossed the unusable clips, I had just a few left.

My 3-year-old grandson was coloring with his older sister the other day. They were sitting on their knees at the coffee table sharing crayons. All of a sudden, my grandson got up, ran in the kitchen, and threw away his crayon. His sister was mad because the crayons belonged to her https://www.joom.com/en/best/double-din-touch-screen-car-stereo-10-inch. Their father intervened, and asked, “Why did you throw away that crayon?” The answer? “It doesn’t work!” Doesn’t work??? Dad fished the crayon out of the trash can. It was the white one.

Now I’m for recycling and reusing things up to a point. There comes a time, however, when the aggravation factor just isn’t worth it. I agree with my grandson’s logic. If it doesn’t work any longer, GET RID OF IT!!

Explaining a Will

When you are talking with an 8-year-old, the conversation can progress into uncharted territory in a nanosecond. That happened to me last weekend when my granddaughter was visiting.

I have a beautiful large nativity set that was given https://www.joom.com/en/best/womens-rubber-clogs at Christmas. The holy family is encased in glass. When a button is pushed, a light comes on inside, and glittery confetti flies around the scene. My granddaughter quickly found this and fell in love with it. She kept repeating, “Nana, I really like this,” as she pressed the button over and over. I assured her that I liked it, too. “In fact”, I told her, “I plan to keep it out all year so I can look at it.” She agreed that this is a great idea. Taking it further, she said, “You can keep it out all the time. And if you move, you can pack it and take it with you. You can keep it forever! Or at least until you…” She frowned and looked at me. “What happens to people’s stuff when they die?”

Oh dear. Back in the hot seat again. Hmmm….This is the same child who demanded to know at age 6 why a certain area of land was so messy with “rocks” all over the place. It really bothered her every time we drove by the cemetery. I finally had to explain to her that when people get old and die, their “people” who love them put up a stone with their names and birth dates to honor and remember them at https://www.joom.com/en/best/sega-genesis-controller-usb. She was happy with that. I did not tell her what was under the headstones.

I explained that most people decide what to do with their stuff before they die and introduced to her the concept of a will. She wasn’t getting it, so I gave her an example. “Let’s say your dad has two pocket watches. He can write down that he wants you to have his gold watch and your brother to have the silver watch.” She gave me a thoughtful, “Oh.”

Later that day, when her mother came to pick her up, she demonstrated the nativity and got upset with me when she found the knob for the music box. I had forgotten to tell her about https://www.joom.com/en/best/abc-puzzle-board. She proudly announced to her mother, “Nana told me all about wills and used daddy as an example.” Now the look that came my way was one of great interest to say the least. I said, “Okay, let me explain….”

Only an 8-year-old can put you in these kinds of situations!

Book About A Rabbit???

My newest read is a delightful book that just hit the stands. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane tempted me because it is written by a Newbery Award-winning author, Kate DiCamillo. Though this is a children’s book, I fell in love with it from the very first page. Edward Tulane is a rabbit who is mostly made of china and is very, very well-loved. He has many fine clothes made of silk with leather accessories and his own real pocket watch. Unfortunately, Edward has to have some “life adventures” in order to get his eyes off himself and learn how to love others. It hooked me from the https://www.joom.com/en/best/amd-wraith-stealth-cooler. Who couldn’t fall in love with writing like this:

In all, Edward Tulane felt himself to be an exceptional specimen. Only his whiskers gave him pause. They were long and elegant…but they were of uncertain origin. Edward felt quite strongly that they were not the whiskers of a rabbit.

I’m on page 69 of this 198-page book that I started reading on the commute home from work today. I was intrigued and began to read out loud to my https://www.joom.com/en/best/female-phantom-of-the-opera-mask. From the beginning he was enjoying it as much as I was. If I continue reading on the way to work tomorrow and on the way home, maybe we’ll finish it. Edward is not a silly talking animal. Instead, his attributes are very realistic—fixed eyes, unable to move himself. However, he does have thoughts. It is those thoughts that make the story.

Unforunately, Edward meets with bad fortune. He falls off a cruise liner headed from America to England. As he sinks deeper and deeper into the ocean, I have to remind myself of the title, The Miraculous Journey… What a great move by the author! A funny moment occurs when, after being rescued from the sea, his new owner thinks he’s a girl and dresses him in frilly girl clothes. You can read more about this book on my page https://www.joom.com/en/best/sailor-moon-makeup-brush.

This cute, fun, and sometimes sad book is very well written, which is why I wanted to read it in the first place. This one is definitely a keeper in my library. I just wish I had my grandkids close enough long enough to read them this story from beginning to end. And then to maybe read it again.

Illegal Aliens’ National Anthem

Okay. This rant has been a long time coming. I have fought it, but it must come out. Bear in mind that this is my blog, and I don’t try to be politically correct. It is not my intent to offend anyone, but I have been offended myself. This rant is about hispanics. I don’t consider myself to be a prejudiced person, and some of the most precious people in my life are hispanic. However, this rant is not about those hispanics who have come into this country legally, who have earned their citizenship, and are proud to be Americans. This https://www.joom.com/en/best/murakami-takashi-flower is about the criminals who come in through the back door and demand to have the full rights of American citizens without becoming American citizens.

I live in Texas which means there is a high concentration of hispanics here. Okay. I accept that, though it impacts my life negatively every day. There are 12-15+ people living in the house next door to me who regularly come and go across the border in herds. And come and go at all hours of the day/night. Who park so many vehicles in front of my house that the mailman and trash company cannot access my yard. (Recently my brush was in the front yard for 3 weeks for this very reason.) https://www.joom.com/en/best/mommy-and-me-outfits Who play Mexican music as loud as the boom box or car radio allows so I can’t hear my own t.v. (WHY is their music so annoying???)

Yes, there are housing ordinances, but the local police department can’t enforce them. If they enforce one, they have to enforce them all, which would take a whole national branch of the INS. So, I try to be hospitable and accept their imposing presence as they crowd me out of my own living spaces and my rights to enjoy my own home and receive the services that I pay for. (What were they saying about https://www.joom.com/en/best/garden-cloche ???? I have them too!) I think it is very safe to say that most hispanics are in this state illegally. That means a law has been broken, does it not? Hence, the word “criminal” comes to mind.

Dallas has been a hotbed of activity in the hispanic community recently. They want to be American without giving up their loyalty to their homeland. I think that is called having your cake and eating it too. It galls me to hear their demands, to listen to them scream, “It’s not fair; we have rights.” Oh, do they now? As uninvited guests in our country, they spit in the face of our “hospitality” (allowing them to stay here illegally) and demand that they own the “house.” Seriously, seriously, what other country in the world would put up with such shenanigans? (And, the big question is, why are we???)

They want to be allowed to fly the Mexican flag in their yards and businesses. Others are flying both flags with the Mexican flag above the American flag. A principal in Houston was suspended for allowing the students at his school to do this very thing. I cannot fathom how a principal of a government school would stand for this, in what I consider an act of treason.