Okay, I'm irritated beyond belief. I am one of those people who reads books over and over again. One reason I re-read books is because I read very quickly, and sometimes in my rush to get to the end and find out what happens, I miss things. So, I read the book again later and can focus on the little things. In July, I think, I bought a book by Nora Roberts, who I LOVE. I love her books because often, she writes series books, most usually a trilogy and I love that I get to read about the same people again. Well, this summer the first book came out in a new series, that's actually going to be four books. This is the Brides Quartet, about four women who run a wedding service. It's a different book, first of all, because of the size and shape. Many of her books are all the same size and shape, and this one is thinner, but a larger book. I'm ready to read it again – and here's the irritation – I CAN'T FIND IT!!!!!! I have gotten out of bed three times looking for that book. I went to Wal-mart today, and almost bought it again, and I just couldn't do it. But I'm still irritated because I can't find my book. I guess I'll just have to get it from the library, I just requested it, but I'm still number three on the list. I'm telling you, I am just so irritated with myself, because I want to read that book and I want to read it NOW. I have a hard time with non-instant gratification, when it comes to books. Maybe it will still turn up.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I hate being sick!
Monday, August 31, 2009
My best friend’s child – a Marine!
My best friend in the whole wide world is Laquita. Laquita and her husband Kerry, have three sons: Derek, Landon and Casey. In June, Landon left home for Parris Island for Marine Boot Camp. Landon has always been a unique child, a typical middle child, with his own set of quirks. When he was little, he was obsessed with weather and was convinced a tornado was right around the corner. When he was nine, I believe, he decided he wanted to be a mortician when he got older, and began to perfect his craft even then. I've NEVER seen a child so aware of funeral homes and hearses. He actually got an invitation to an Open House, after a local funeral home redecorated. He's just always been his own person. . .
A couple of years ago, he decided he was going to go into the Marine Corps Reserve, but it just wasn't the right time. This time, it was. He didn't tell his family that he was going into the Marines, until he had all his ducks in a row, and everything was set. Before it even seemed possible, he was gone.
Laquita has shared some of his letters with me, and the growth in him has been amazing! It's evident even from his letters that he's grown up a LOT. Saturday, at my dad's birthday party, she told me that according to his schedule, he should have been in the midst of "The Crucible." I have watched the Military Channel enough to worry about him. We prayed really hard for him!
She called me today, and finally, after 9 weeks, she got to talk to him. I can't imagine what she must have felt like to get to hear him, and know that he was safe and sound. He told her his feet are blistered, and that he's NEVER been through anything like that ever in his life. In all this time, he's never once complained or said that he hated boot camp. Laquita and Kerry will be traveling to his graduation this weekend, and he comes home for 10 days. He's decided to choose active duty over the reserves, which scares us! But I can't wait to see him! I think we will all be amazed – he left us a boy, and he's coming home a man.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Surprise!!! A birthday party!
Today is my dad's 70th birthday. We (my sisters and I) decided to attempt to have a surprise birthday party for him. It took a lot of planning, and quite a bit of fibbing. . . Ok, flat out LYING, but we pulled it off. Robyn told Daddy we were having a surprise graduation party for me! It was his job to get me to my "surprise party" and although he didn't know, it was my job to get him his surprise party. It was really funny, we walked in, people yelled "Surprise!" and he was looking at me. When they all started singing Happy Birthday, he finally realized that it wasn't a graduation party. . . The look on his face was priceless! I think our friend Melissa started taking pictures, and I hope she got that look on his face. We were so afraid that some of his friends would spill it, I actually picked one by name I thought would mess it up, but no one did. I think we really surprised him, which is hard. He is good at surprising us, but I don't think we've ever gotten him the way we did today.
My dad is the greatest dad in the world. My sisters and I always knew that our middle sister was our Mom's favorite child. That seems a little disloyal to say, but it really is true. My aunt says that perhaps my middle sister just needed her more, but my older sister and I always felt that way. But, our dad, on the other hand, had almost a magical way – if you asked any of us who was his favorite, we all thought we were. That's an amazing thing. Our dad has pastured three churches, been an associate pastor at another, and started a mission. He is a fabulous pastor. The really funny thing is that he messes up his words and says the wrong thing to the wrong people all the time, but people aren't offended, and it's usually funny. But whenever someone is hurting or in need, He always knows just the right thing to say to people who are hurting, and knows when to say nothing, just to be there.
Today, I think he was very emotional. I think he got a little "verklempt" several times. We invited a lot of people, and the best ones came. It was a great party. Everyone just talked and laughed and ate and talked and laughed and ate. My dad did not have an easy life growing up – his dad was an alcoholic, and he just disappeared one day. By the time my grandfather resurfaced, he and my grandmother had gotten divorced, and he had remarried, and so my dad had stepbrothers younger than his own children. I don't know where he learned to be such a good dad – but he is. I'm glad we had the chance to do this for him.
Monday, August 24, 2009
School Day 1
Well, day one of the 2009-2010 school year is over. Overall, it was a pretty good day, actually not too bad at all. I have HUGE numbers of students, which is good for our school, but not so good for me personally. If we have too many, we'll gain a unit, like we did last year. Of course, it took until after Christmas to find and hire that new teacher so. . .
One of the teachers at my school wrote a fabulous blog post about testing at school. You can read it here: http://lizaanne42.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/a-rollercoaster-week/
She said it much better than I ever could and I wish that everybody who makes decisions about education could be forced to read her blog. I also think that everyone who makes education decisions should have to read the book "The Report Card" by Andrew Clements, but who listens to me????
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Women of Faith
I just got home from Women of Faith. In case you don't know, WOF is a two-day women's conference, held in different cities every weekend. It is fabulous, wonderful, exciting, I can't think of enough words. There is something special about when women get together – and this conference has LOTS of women. We sing, we worship, we laugh, and of course, an arena full of women, we cry! This is my third year; I didn't go last year because it was too close to school starting. It is a great time of bonding with friends, having your spirit renewed and being reminded of the vast, endless love of God. There is a worship team, speakers and special guests. You can check out the website here: http://www.womenoffaith.com/
The speakers get to sit in a special part of the arena called "The Porch." I'd like to get to sit on the porch during one of these conferences. (BTW, I feel I need to explain this:
I have a list of "dying wishes" – the things I'd like to get to do if I were to find out I were dying. I guess it's technically a "bucket list" but I don't know how to go about accomplishing these things. Sitting on the porch is one, as well as having Barry Manilow sing "Sandi" instead of "Mandy." The third is to get to be the guitar tuner for Steven Curtis Chapman - but that's another story!)
Patsy Clairmont is always a hoot and has people nearly rolling in the aisles. This year she pulled as hard at my heart as she did my funny bone. Sheila Walsh is such a marvelous speaker that I tend to forget what a fabulous singer she is, and then she just blows me away. Marilyn Meberg always gets me unexpectedly and I can't always explain why. I love how she can be perfectly serious one second and laughing the next. We got to hear Lisa Whelchel, (yes, Blair from the TV show "The Facts of Life.") We met a new Porch Pal, Lisa Harper, who taught the Bible, as I've never heard before. Sandi Patty sang for us on Friday, and we had Mandisa sing for us, as well. I would LOVE to hear Sandi Patty and Mandisa sing together, as they both have voices that just fill up the whole place, but I don't know if we could stand it. I admit freely that I have NEVER watched an entire episode of American Idol, but honestly, what is wrong with people??? Why didn't Mandisa win? She has been gifted with a fabulous voice and boy, can she dance! I think God has much bigger plans for her than American Idol, which I know that some diehard fans of the show can't even imagine. This year Luci Swindoll wasn't at our conference, and that would be the only thing that made this year's conference perfect. I love her and I think we could seriously hang out sometime. . .
Our special guest was Steven Curtis Chapman who I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. He is a gifted songwriter and performer; I mean the man has like 51 Dove Awards, for goodness sakes! I've seen him in concert multiple times and NEVER left wishing I hadn't gone. Last year, he had a concert in Lakeland and there was a website where you could request a song, and he actually sang some of them. He chose my song and sang my request. He had a song years ago called "With Hope." Part of the song goes "We can cry with hope, we can say goodbye with hope, 'cause we know our goodbye is not the end." When my mother died, I wanted that song. It comforted me and helped me grieve. If I thought I'd never get to see her again, I'd be devastated, but like he said - I know my goodbye to her was not the end." The Chapman family has had a rough year, but they made it through – with hope. He told us his wife said something like "We have been to the bottom, and found out that the foundation is solid." Oh, to have faith like that! I admit, I need to be reminded that the foundation of my faith is solid, that "on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand." I always wonder when I see someone in a concert, if what we see is just a show or the real deal. He proved to us that he is the real deal and that the songs he writes and sings, he means. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house when he sang "Cinderella." What a testimony! What a gift! What a God!
(During concerts, he has to have his guitar(s) retuned between songs and I think that would be the coolest job ever - to be his guitar tuner during a concert. Of course, I don't know how to tune a guitar, but I'd learn. See, that's why it's on my list! )
I can't explain exactly what it is about Women of Faith I love so much. This year's theme was "A Grand New Day" which is perfect for this time in my life. It's a new school year; I've just ended one chapter of my life and am ready to go on to another. There is fabulous music, great speakers and most of all; constant reminding that God loves us! I love being with my friends from church, and spending uninterrupted time with them. I think we all get so busy that at home, we never have time to just focus on each other. We have time and opportunity to re connect with some of our dearest friends and meet some new ones. We had some serious conversations – and some not so serious ones. We laughed really hard, sang loudly, and then cried really hard. I don't know where else we can get that. It's good for your soul.
Monday, August 10, 2009
I admit it, I’m a hoarder. . .
I like to watch Animal Planet. I like those animal cop shows about people who work for the ASPCA and the Humane Society. I also LOVE Whale Wars, but that's a topic for another day. Sometimes on those animal cop shows they find people who they call "hoarders" people who end up with 20 or 30 (or MORE) cats or dogs in their house and in their yard. I can't imagine what 37 cats smell like but that's just me. I love my one cat, but he's enough for me. However, I have found some similarities between those people and myself. I am a hoarder . . . of books and other "stuff." I'm probably worse about books than anything else, but I'm not sure. I have been trying to get my house cleaned up all summer, since graduate school is all done. Last summer, while I was in London, my friend and her husband (who we affectionately call Hazel the Housekeeper) came and cleaned my house. They got rid of lots of stuff that I just hold onto for whatever reason. They did promise not to throw away any books, but she made my sisters promise not to buy me anymore "stuff" for Christmas or birthdays or anything. I've decided I have (and it pains me to say this) TOO MANY BOOKS!I don't know why I keep them. I know why I keep some, but honestly, as much as I love Frindle, do I really need 4 copies? Don't think so. . . I guess being a crazy book lady is not as bad as being known as the crazy cat lady, but still, I've got to do something about this. So here is my latest plan. I think I have enough books that I can weed my own stacks (see what I learned- I'm using Library-ese) and give a book to every student who comes to Orientation at my school next week. Doesn't that sound like a great plan?? I just have to decide where to start. . .