Town Councilman

My husband is running for Town Council! I'm so proud of him, he will be great if he can get elected. Next up for our political advancement as a family is me running for Register of Deeds. We'll be awesome political figures at home...half Republican and half Democrat. Of course everyone knows that Democrats are cooler.

Sometimes I wonder...

What would I do if I won the lottery? Zach and I talked about it this past weekend, and I have decided that I would do the follow:

• Hire people to finish the changes to the house - painting, floors, kitchen remodel, attic renovation, and complete landscaping
• Buy furniture for the house
• Buy an old classic sporty convertible
• Pay off all my of school loans (this should be number 1 on the list) and pay off the house
• Get a personal trainer and get in shape
• Buy a new wardrobe
• Go on vacations all over the world
• Give money to family members to take care of their debt and to buy a few luxuries
• Set aside college funds for the kids
• Do random acts of kindness
• Support great charities
• Write a book
• Make some art

That's where my list starts. Nothing big, nothing fancy - just normal stuff.

What would you do?

The Notebook

I had never seen The Notebook until this evening. My husband put it in my Netflix queue and I thought that I'd finally give it a try. You have no idea how much joy I've derived from informing people that I have never seen the movie, and that it never crossed my mind to rent it and view it. Sigh, now that joy will be gone, but it was a good movie.

Zach and I talked about how horrible it would be if either one of us got Alzheimer's disease. I can't imagine him not remembering me or our future children and our entire life together. At the same time, I can't imagine not being able to remember who you are and never again recognizing your children, your husband, and your friends. I hope that the Lord spares us from this all too harsh reality for so many people.

Now to talk about Nicholas Sparks. This best selling author was once a pharmaceutical's sales representative. He wrote his first novel, had an agent send it to 25 publishers, and was offered a million dollars for his first ever book! How does that happen? He has been on the best sellers list with every single one of his books! That's too good to be true? How is it?

I want to write a book. I have some stories in my head, but I have never written them down. I'm afraid I can't do it. I worry that I'd never be able to make it what I want to be and that I'd ultimately fail. However, I will eventually try. I will write a book, get it edited, find an agent, and get it published. I will be an author one day. I know I can do it.

Until then, I'll just keep reading and thinking and blogging.

Break

I'm going to be taking a break from this blog. I've been reading through it, and it bores me. You must agree if you have ever read it. I'm going to work on a different blog for a while and see how that goes. I'll come back to this one at least once a week to update it.

Visit my other blog - Commuter Musings. Hopefully, you will be better entertained there.

Weekend Away

We went to the beach for the weekend and spent our 6 month anniversary in Swansboro, NC. We had a great time, and it was nice to get away. We will have to work on getting a weekend away more often now. I'll recap our activities later today.

Clarity

Beauty is the realization
That six months in -
Despite compromise and disenchantment
Love is not your start or destination -
But your travel guide and dear companion.

Saturday is our six month anniversary. It seems impossible to believe it's been that long, or really that short. I wrote that little poem just thinking about us.

Working Together

Zach and I have been working on our closets in the evening after we get home from work. We have been trying to install a second pole in the closets so that there is a lower rack for pants and an upper one for shirts.

This process has necessitated removing the current pole and shelf in each closet and repositioning them to allow for a second pole. This doesn't seem like it would be a difficult project, and it really isn't, but the difficulty of a task is never an issue when Zach and I are working together. The issue is always our lack of cohesive teamwork.

Our methods for getting a job done usually involve the following:

• Me trying to tell Zach how to do something when I think that he is putting in to much effort, or that his technique will result in having to do it all over again

• Zach getting angry at me for trying to correct him, which results in him completely ignoring me and doing something wrong (or luckily, sometimes he does get it right)

• I step in and try to do it myself

and we never seem to get the job done.

However, our closet project was different. We worked as a team! We had some setbacks, but we never argued or got angry, and we got it done! I was truly amazed. I only changed my normal tactics slightly in that I tried not to tell him how to do everything. In turn, he changed his normal tactics and actually listened to me and didn't argue.

This is the first time that we have started and finished a project without arguing. This is a major mile stone. We are becoming a better team.

I think we are going to make it after all.

Moravian Sunrise

Zach and I went to a Moravian sunrise service this morning at Oakwood Cemetery. Oakwood is my favorite cemetery in the Raleigh area. It is an island of beauty and tranquility within the city that you never expect to exist. I actually didn't know about it until the first time I went to the sunrise service with Raleigh Moravian Church.

There is nothing more glorious than the Moravian sunrise service. We met on the grounds of the Cemetery, heard some wonderful scripture, sang lovely songs with solid messages, and were played through the grounds to God's Acre (the Moravian graves) by the brass band. It is a treat for all the senses, and connects you with the undeniable presence of God. I will always celebrate Christ's resurrection with Raleigh Moravian Church if I can.

Housework

Zach had to work this morning, and while I could have slept in, I made myself a list of things that I wanted to get done and attacked the house. I did laundry, vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, made a key holder, mopped the floor, organized, and played with the dogs. I got so much done, and Zach came home from work to a clean house. I felt like a good wife, and a good mom to my furry kids.

Good Friday

Crucifix and Sunrise ©iStockphoto.com/Richard Goerg

Fridays are almost always good, but today is special. Today is the day that we have chosen to celebrate that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins...

...and rose again on the third day to bring us eternal life. He sacrificed Himself for us - we don't deserve His mercy, and I am forever grateful.

My favorite version of the story is found in Mark, Chapter 15.

Jesus Before Pilate

¹Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

²"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate.
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."

⁵But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

⁶Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

⁹"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, ¹⁰knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

¹²"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.

¹³"Crucify him!" they shouted.

¹⁴"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" ¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. ²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. ²⁹Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!"

³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! ³²Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe." Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
"אלוהים, אלוהים, למה יש לך עזוב אותי"—which means,"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, "Listen, he's calling Elijah."

³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down," he said.

³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

⁴⁰Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

The Burial of Jesus

⁴²It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁴⁴Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. ⁴⁵When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

These verses were found at BibleGateway.com, and are the New International Version.

Taken from dailyencouragement.wordpress.com

Thank you Lord for your unbelievable love and mercy.

Sick

In case anyone was wondering about there not being any posts the past two days, I was sick. Had migraines on Monday with a fever in the evening, and then yesterday more headaches and feeling under the weather during the morning and evening.

Today I'm back at work and just wish that I could be in bed. I'm still so tired.

Hallelujah!

He finally listened. :)

Another Saturday

The day passed quickly. I went to another Teacher's Job Fair this afternoon and had a pretty good experience. Zach was a good husband and raked the front yard. It looks so much nicer now.

This evening after dinner we went to our friend S's house to meet up with other friends and watch the basketball game. It was strange to hear a knock at the door later in the evening and have my friend Beth walk through the door. S never talks to Zach about their dating, and so I never know what is going on. S has been sick for the past few weeks and so I didn't know if they had seen each other much or not. Apparently they have. She walked in and was completely comfortable coming into his house and taking his seat in the recliner while he moved to the floor. It was interesting to have her added to the group, a new experience. It is usually our friends, all married couples now, and single S, but everything seems to have changed.

Zach and I were the last of the couples to leave at about 11:30. It was different to leave S's house with Beth still there. Leaving them alone together. Knowing that although she was once my best friend, we have grown so far apart that I will never be someone she turns to and tells about this new relationship. Even asking her about it to open the door for confiding in me would seem strange. Maybe this relationship will soon reopen that door though. I hope so.

Bored

"I am bored."

That is what I told him this morning before I left.

It applies to many things within our marriage, and all of them involve him not listening and following through.

It's one of those days when "forever" seems more torture than treasure.

Escape...

This is what I was thinking today.

I suddenly want to be in a train compartment, somewhere in Europe or traversing into the Balkans...looking out the window with a camera in my bag, a notebook on my lap, and a pencil in hand with its nibbled end resting on my lower lip.

Borrowed from Meg Pickard and her blog meish dot org: life, unfolding.

Tuesday, the new Monday

Argh. I forgot to post last night, and I didn't post at all this weekend. I'm slipping. And Tuesday feels like Monday now...the weekend is still so far away!

Weekend recap:

We didn't do that much on Saturday. I went to a teacher's job fair in the afternoon, but this was what I came away with...

School Principal: "It's so nice to meet you. We don't have any positions open, but please leave your resume (adds mine to a stack of 200) and if something becomes available we'll call you!"
Me: "Thank you!"

And that was it.

On Sunday I went to a wedding shower for my soon to be sister-in-law. My brother is getting married in April to an amazing woman and we are all so excited. We don't know how she puts up with him, but are grateful she will be his better half soon.

After the shower we had a family meal at my Aunt Karen's and Uncle Pete's house. Pete cooked and completely spoiled us with a delicious dinner. He likes to experiment with ordinary meal staples, and he never fails to impress! We had stuffed meatloaf and herbed, twice baked mashed potatoes. Amazing!


Something good from Monday...I made us delicious omelets! And that's about it.

Game Night!

Game night was great, even with our depleted numbers. There were five of us all together and we enjoyed a delicious Taco Ring dinner and a few card games. There have been tornado warnings in the area tonight, and that has been a little scary.

However, we had a good time!

Taco Ring

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (.2 kg). ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
• 1 1.25 oz (35 grm) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup (225 ml) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
• 2 8 oz (224 grm). pkgs. refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 1 med. green bell pepper
• 1/2 head lettuce, shredded
• 1 med. tomato, cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) whole pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 cup (225 ml) salsa
• sour cream

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees (200 C.).
• Combine meat, seasoning mix, cheese and water in 2 qt. batter bowl.
• Arrange crescent triangles in a circle on a 13" round baking stone, with bases overlapping in center and points to outside (there should be a five inch diameter circle in center).
• Spoon meat mixture over rolls where they overlap.
• Fold points of triangles over filling and tuck under base at center (filling will not be completely covered).
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Cut off the top of the bell pepper, place pepper in center of ring; fill with salsa.
• Mound lettuce, onion, tomato and olives around pepper.
• Garnish with sour cream (optional).
• Cut and serve.

I used ground turkey and ground beef to do a half healthy/half unhealthy ring. I also had black beans, broccoli slaw, and cheese as additional topping choices. I let everyone put whatever they wanted on their taco ring section and did not mound everything on top of the ring. The thing to watch for is the center filling up with grease. I had to repeatedly place paper towel balls in the center to soak the grease up and remove it. If it stays in the center, then the crescent rolls will not cook completely at the center. Everyone enjoyed this meal, and I plan to make another one again soon!

Preparing

Tonight we spent all of our time trying to prepare the house for visitors. Tomorrow is our turn to host Game Night! I wish that the turn out was going to be better, but we'll have fun anyway.

I did some grocery shopping on the way home and my sugar bottomed out while I was trying to decide which kind of snack bars to get. I chose to get the FiberOne bars that they promote on the Biggest Loser. They are very delicious with so much fiber! And then I went and got an orange juice and drank that while I did the rest of my shopping.

I should really admit that Zach spent his time preparing the house for visitors. He vacuumed, straightened things up, and painted some of the crown molding in the kitchen. I was tired and a little out of it from my sugar dropping, so I ate some dinner and watched an episode and a half of Friends. I love that show. Why did they ever stop making it? Same thing for Seinfeld, why did they give up on that? Can you imagine how awesome some of the episodes could have been from the past five years?

Anyway, I vegged in front of the TV for the evening, and now I'm going to bed. My husband can be a really good man sometimes. He is going to brown the ground turkey and beef needed for the recipe I have for tomorrow's dinner. I am going to make a Taco Ring! Mmm! I'll post the recipe later with a picture of the final product if I can.

Productive Evening = No Post

Zach and I were painting the trim in the kitchen last night. We managed to get the door frame into the dining room completely done and got the first coat on the chair rail and other door frame. The crown molding will be done tonight, and then hopefully all the trim will be painted, and our kitchen complete! I'm hope, hope, hoping.

Late

I had a low sugar episode this morning. I had a terrible dream that my husband died and my low sugar made it seem real. When I finally opened my eyes I thought that I was dreaming that he was still alive. It was very strange.

Zach then said that I should get up. It was 15 minutes past the time I normally leave the house for work. I realized that I was having trouble seeing when I got out of bed, and then I started crying for no reason. Zach realized what was going on and went downstairs and brought me some juice. Ah, juice. It makes all the difference when my sugar is low.

It was a crazy way to start my day. However, it was the most interesting thing that happened today as well. Work was work, and then I came home.

Love and Leaves

My husband loves me! I came home from work and he was out in the yard raking up the leaves and pine straw. That says it all! That makes my day.

Not only did he rake the yard, but he did the dishes as well! This was an awesome Monday. I'm just sitting here and beaming. I feel so loved.

Sunday Sunshine

And by "sunshine" I mean yellow paint. Zach and I finally painted our kitchen today. It has been three and a half months since the wallpaper came down and it was prepared to be painted. I honestly don't know why it took us so long to actually get it done, but it is nice to see it done. Well, the walls are done at least. All the trim is waiting to be painted, but that is a job just for me and so it will take forever.

Zach is a big picture kind of guy and doesn't pay that much attention to the details. I'm a detail freak when I want to be, and when it comes to working on the house, I look at everything with a magnifying glass. This is not the best approach to home improvements by hand, but it is a good lesson for me in letting go. Anyway, Zach is not patient enough to spend the time needed on the trim without making a mess of it. I'm glad that he knows this and defers to me on these tasks. However, that leaves all of the detail work to me alone.

I have to say that we never would have gotten the walls painted without my husband. I told him two weeks ago that we needed to get it done, no excuses. Today he said, "We are going to paint the kitchen." He made me get myself off of the couch where I was reading comfortable and start getting things done. I was the one that originally wanted it done, but I eventually got lazy about it. Thank goodness he was there to spur me on.

Our yellow reminds me of this picture from SouthernAccents.

Our kitchen is now a delightful yellow. We chose Valspar's Filoli Honey to grace the walls of our small kitchen.

This paint chip from Valspar doesn't look very yellow which is why I added the picture above.

Our kitchen is at the center of our home, and I wanted it to be a warm, bright, and inviting space. I think that the Filoli Honey creates the feel I was trying to imbue through color. The trim is going to be white, and the counter tops are a dark green. I think it mixes well with the white tile floors and the earthy red/brown of the brick fireplace that is the backdrop for the oven.

This is our kitchen before we started working on it. The green stripped wallpaper was horrible. Thank goodness it is gone.

I'll try to post pictures of our kitchen with new yellow walls sometime soon. Perhaps the trim will even be done by then!

Irises...

I planted irises today. K at work thinned her's out, and brought the extra rhizomes into work to see if anyone wanted them. I was very excited that I got to take so many of them home with me. I don't know anything about growing irises. When I looked them up online, the only thing that I could really take away in preparing to plant them was that they need well drained soil.

I believed that my soil options at the house were limited. K said that her's loved the acidity from the sunflower seeds that she kept in her bird feeder. The irises under the feeder thrived. I have lots of pine trees in my yard, and not a lot of well drained soil that I can see. So, I decided to do an experiment. I planted the irises in seven different places around my yard. The soil in each place was amazingly different.

Under some of the pines in the front yard, there is a bed of ivy. I planted three in with the ivy. It might be hard for them to survive when trying to compete with the ivy, but the soil was dark and loamy.

Under a different pine tree out in the middle of the yard, I planted five more. The soil at the foot of this tree was rather sandy. I planted two more at the base of another pine tree, but the soil underneath that tree was the same sandy soil.

In the back yard, I planted two more under another pine tree. This soil was mostly red clay. It was hard, dense and rather dry. I don't know if these irises will do well, but I wanted to try out everything. We'll see what happens.

I planted another one under an oak tree in a back corner of our yard. The soil here was rather loamy as well, but a little damp. This one has a view into the soybean field. I hope it does well so that I can see it blooming against this backdrop.

Two more were planted at the edge of the cedar trees that act as a wind break between the yard and the field. This soil was very dry and powdery. When I tried to water the two irises later, the water rolled off the soil and down the hill, never soaking in. I think that a real rain will have to come to get them wet. The soil just seems to repel the water. I thought that was really odd. To counter act that, I created little wells in behind the iris further up the hill and filled those with water. Hopefully it will soak in and there will be some water for the irises before it rains. I'll continue doing this until it rains.

The last iris was planted next to our patio. There is a rosebush and some lilies or something planted around it, but nothing that has done well. I planted it there, just for a different kind of soil. This was dark, damp, and yet kind of sandy.

Over all, I was amazed to find at least five different kind of soils in my yard. Who knew there would be so many different planting environments in the same yard? We'll see which kind of soil the irises survive in best, and from then on I'll know where to plant them.

Better Late Than Never - The Farm Story

I lived on 40 Days Farm for eight months. This 40 acre farm is owned by a wonderful family that advertised living accommodations in a hundred year old farm house in exchange for help with the farm chores. When I was looking for a new place to live that was closer to work, I couldn't believe my luck in finding this Craigslist ad. What could be better than living on a farm in exchange for a few hours of work each week? When I found out that they had horses, I was sold on the idea.

While I didn't have any farm hand experience, I came on board with loads of enthusiasm. I'm glad that R and K decided to give me the benefit of the doubt that I could learn what I needed to know. Living on the farm was wonderful! I enjoyed the physical labor more than I ever imagined. I realized that there is nothing like seeing the real fruits of your labor, such as having a clean horse stall or selling a healthy goat.

I used to get up in the mornings at 6 am in order to have enough time to do my farm chores and then get ready to go to work. Even when it was really cold and I had to break the ice in the horses' water buckets, I enjoyed taking care of the animals. I enjoyed doing everything required to make sure they were happy and healthy. In fact, I love cleaning stalls. Yes, I know, it sounds strange even to me, but it is completely true. I would happily clean horse stalls for a living if I could get paid enough to live on.

I have wanted to live on a farm ever since I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, the "Little House" series, which include Farmer Boy. Farmer Boy was the story of Laura's husband Almanzo Wilder's childhood on a farm in New York. Although 40 Days Farm is a "work in progress" as R likes to call it, I was not disappointed with my experiences there. During the spring of 2008, I helped with the birth of 12 goats and one colt. I learned how to milk a goat and that chickens are the best garbage disposal imaginable - what other garbage disposal will give you fresh eggs in exchange for rotting leftovers? I now know how to groom a horse and some basic medical concerns to look out for when working with horses. It is a time in my life that I will never forget and will probably long for far into the future.

No Wednesday Post

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post yesterday. I spent the night with a family that gave me room and board in exchange for my help as a farm hand last year. I'll tell you all about this great family and my farm hand experience in my post for today. I miss living on the farm!

Ah, Tuesday

Tuesday night is my television night. It is the only night that I have set aside to watch my favorite show, The Biggest Loser. Zach actually sits and watches it with me if he doesn't has something that he needs to do. Tonight he changed my oil and missed the first hour of the show, but he sat down and watched the second hour with me.

I love The Biggest Loser. I don't know why it fascinates me to watch people working out and losing weight, but it does. Perhaps it is because I wish that I could be one of them. I want a place on the Loser Ranch where I can have 24 hour access to a gym and a personal trainer to make sure that I do things the way I should. I want the chance to lose all the weight I shouldn't be carrying. I want the opportunity to lose weight and better manage my diabetes, but I want someone to help me do it. No, I want someone to make me do it.

I think that The Biggest Loser producers should come up with a different show that runs along the same lines. However, this new show should be one for people that's aren't 300+ lbs, but people that have trouble getting rid of the 40 or 50 lbs that are keeping them from being healthy. Sure, huge people need help, but what about the people that could eventually be huge and need an intervention. Yes, this new show should be an intervention show. Perhaps they could call it "The Next Ten Pounds." That next ten pounds could be all that's keeping someone from being obese, or it could be all they need to lose to be healthier. I would want to be on that show.

I'm trying to eat healthier now. I started off this week by restricting my caloric intake to 1400 calories. I've managed to do this pretty well for the past two days. I'll weigh myself at the end of the week and see if it made a difference. Next week I'll start exercising. Hopefully I can lose the 45 lbs that I want to get rid of once and for all. We'll see what happens. It will probably take time and determination, but I think that I can do it. Thank goodness I don't have 145 lbs that I need to lose.

Monday Night Movie and Scrabble

Borrowed from scrabble.poetry-in-motion.org

I love Scrabble. It is my favorite board game, and I'm proud to say that I'm good at playing. I might not be the best at strategy, but my vocabulary and word creation skills are very good. A former boyfriend of mine, David, and I used to play quite regularly, but he was the exception to the rule when it came to my Scrabble history. He beat me every single time except for once when I managed to bingo twice and score over 400 points. David's strategic plays were the key to his success.

Now Zach is starting to get interested in playing with me more. He has a good vocabulary, but his spelling is atrocious. He has started playing online to boost his Scrabble skills, and I'm excited to see the difference it makes in his play. Last night, I watched a movie while he played online Scrabble. This amused me greatly, such a change in normal practice.


These amuse me more...Savage Chickens cartoons about Scrabble.


The movie I watched was The Duchess with Ralph Fiennes and Keira Knightley. It was a beautiful movie with the settings and costumes taking your breath away. The story itself was also very good as it was the true story of the Duchess of Devonshire. I love history, and I especially love this period of English history, the 18th century. I believe that I would do just about anything to have the opportunity to be in the period piece movies that Keira Knightley has had the chance to star in. Pride and Prejudice? I would give my right arm gladly. The Duchess? They could take my left arm, and perhaps a leg. My favorite by far is Jane Austen's magnificent work, but any period piece of worth would suit me. If they simply paid me by being able to keep the costumes, I'd do anything they wanted.

I believe I have some acting talents, but I don't think that I have the determination to see if I could break into the business. It's just too hard. If I could, I'd work for the BBC for free if they could teach me to master a British accent. I would do a lot of things just for the experience. Everyone should hire me and save money in these tough economic times. I would work for next to nothing!

So, The Duchess, a good movie that I openly recommend.

Compromises and Cloverfield

I was going to write this post about the huge argument that Zach and I had about changing the oil in my car. However, I don't have the strength to complain at the moment. That is probably best for everyone. To sum up our lively debate, I was frustrated that he wouldn't listen to me and follow through on a compromise that had been made. He in turn was upset that I wouldn't let him do what he wanted to and therefore wouldn't "listen to reason". It was a difficult afternoon.

On a completely different note, we watched Cloverfield. I thought that the camera work was going to be annoying and difficult to watch, but it worked. The whole movie worked amazing well...that is until the end. Zach had already seen the movie and really liked it, ending and all. I really liked it until the ending. What happened? Sure, the people might have died, but what happened to the monster? The movie wasn't finished for me. I wanted more. Apparently, I'm not the only one, and a Cloverfield 2 is in the works according to a site called Cloverfield News. When watching the DVD special features, I was surprised at how quickly rumors and gossip spread about this "secret movie". More than that, I'm surprised that the whole story didn't leak into the internet mainstream by the time the movie debuted in theatres. Kudos to J.J. Abrams on making a secret movie that actually worked.

I recommend watching this movie on your laptop. Zach and I sat on the couch in his man den to watch this flick. Having it in that smaller format really made it seem like we were watching the movie on a hand held video camera. That added feel was really worth while. I'm looking forward to the sequal.

Rainy Saturday

Today is a rainy, gray day. I like these days as they remind me of Massachusetts. Looking out into the back yard and through the cedars to the field beyond, I am reminded of a particular view in Northborough, MA. The memory makes my heart ache.

Most of the furry bodies are asleep. The pups are in their crate, and Charlie is curled up on one of the dog beds. Asher and Levi are getting to explore the laundry room as I left the door between it and the party room open. They aren't brave enough to come into the den with everyone, but they are having a good time exploring this new terrain. I was able to walk Omie into the back room on a leash to introduce them, and she did a surprisingly good job just looking at them and sniffing them when she got the chance. Asher didn't seem too concerned about her, but Levi was hiding in the back bathroom shelves. He's beginning to remind me a lot of Bosley, and Asher is acting more and more like Charlie all the time. I find this rather amusing. Getting two new boys that have taken on the same personality characteristics as my original pair of little feline boys.







And so we are all having a relaxed day. Poor Zach is at work until 1:00, but he'll be home before long. I had planned on planting some iris bulbs that a friend at work gave me, but I'm not sure if I want to venture out and dig in the mud. It would probably be a good day to find the well drained soil that they need, but I think I'll do that tomorrow. For now I'll make myself a cup of warm cider and enjoy planning a project for a friend's new baby.

Beth and Taxes

I didn't get a chance to post anything last night because my mom came over so that I could do her taxes. I love being able to help my mom with her taxes. It is the easiest thing for me to go through TurboTax with her, something she would have to pay for that I can do for nothing. It was a very productive evening. My mom is getting a nice sum of money back, and before she came to the house I did a quick clean. The house is now clean before the weekend even starts!

Other than doing my mom's taxes, the only other interesting thing to mention about last night was the topic of conversation with my husband. All we could talk about last night was how a friend of ours, S, who hasn't had a girlfriend is years that I know of, is dating a friend of mine, Beth. I love Beth, and she was my best friend through high school. When we left for college, we weren't that great at keeping in touch over long distances, and our friendship suffered. I have truly missed the closeness that we used to share, but Beth made lots of friends while in college. I don't know that I can compete with them these days. Beth is always busy, and while she only lives about 7 minutes from my house, I hardly see her. I have tried to rekindle our former closeness, but I haven't been diligent about it. I've been easily defeated by competing priorities or other friends without even putting up much of a fight.

The friend that Beth is now dating is someone that I also love. S is my sister's age and has been in my life off and on since I was in elementary school. We went to the same church, and he worked with my sister when they were in high school. As chance would have it, I didn't see S for years when I went away to school, but my husband became one of his best friends in my absence. S is the best kind of man that goes completely unappreciated. He's dependable, kind, there to lend a helping hand, a man of faith, and very intelligent with a range of knowledge bases. And now S is seeing my friend, Beth, because her coworker goes to church with him and set them up.

Zach used to talk about setting them up. He thought it was the best idea. I used to tell him that it wouldn't work. While I was sure they would be great friends, the Beth I had known and the S I know were not completely compatible in their life plans. Beth was born and raised in Massachusetts and has talked about moving back north for as long as I can remember. S does not like to leave the town we grew up in, and usually refuses to leave our county for any reason. I just didn't see how that would work.

I am beginning to think that perhaps I was wrong about their compatibility. I am hoping for things that I didn't consider before. I hope that they enjoy each other's company, but I have a selfish motive. I want Beth to join our close knit group of friends that her new date is such a big part of. I want a chance to be her best friend again. I also want to see both of them happy, and I think that this relationship could bring them happiness. Perhaps Beth can help
S expand his comfort with traveling and open him up to the idea of seeing new things and experiencing new places. Maybe it will be the best thing ever. I hope....

Together, what could be easier?

Apparently, anything is easier than trying to sit in front of the television together. I was sitting and watching my favorite channel, 39 - TLC. What Not To Wear was on, and I adore that show. While the show was on, Zach and I decided to get pizza for dinner. I ordered it and he went to pick it up. When he got back, What Not To Wear was over and Jon & Kate Plus 8 had started.

We ate sitting in front of the television and I turned the channel to try and find something we could both watch. We finished as I was channel flipping, he went to get dessert and didn't come back. When I went to find him, he was sitting alone in his den. I asked him if he would come and watch something with me. "Can we watch channel 31?" My immediate response was, "No." Channel 31 is ESPN. I changed the channel from what I always watch to try and find a compromise and he suggests the channel only he wants to watch.

When I asked him to sit with me and find a compromise channel, he did, but not for very long. After I went through several channels, he asked if we could watch channel 29, which is CNN. He just didn't get it. I was trying to find a compromise and he wouldn't compromise. Nothing was worth watching to him except sports or news, two things I never watch.

So now, I am sitting and watching Jurassic Park III by myself. Why can't men learn to compromise? Why does everything have to be sports all the time?

Sigh.

Waking up

This morning was a wonderful waking up experience, despite the reality of getting up to go to work. It was so different than a normal day that my memory of it is full of soft golden light.

"Solitude" by Rosie Hardy - borrowed from her photostream on Flickr

My memory views as if it were a movie filmed through a sheer veil where all objects are haloed in a dreamy light. Let me explain why it was such an extraordinary morning.

Normal weekday morning:

The alarm goes off at 5:30 to wake me up and let me know that I have a half hour to start to stir around. The alarm goes off at 5:50 as a warning to seriously consider starting to get up. The alarm goes off at 6:00 to say that it is now time to get up. The alarm goes off at 6:30 to tell me that I should be heading out the door.

I try to get up by the time the 6:00 alarm goes off, or at least by 6:10. I then tell my husband that he needs to get up to take the dogs out because they have inevitably heard me get up and are starting to get antsy. Two of the dogs have small bladders. He responds that he's getting up and will either roll over or not move at all, but never tries to get up. He will lay there for another10 minutes, usually falling back to sleep until I tell him he has to get up and take the dogs out. He usually groans and says that he's getting up again or just ignores me.

At this point the dogs are starting to get hysterical because they have to go out and I am trying to jump in the shower as I have to get ready for work and then leave in 15 minutes. So I end up yelling at him to get his butt out of bed and take the dogs out. Sometimes I will go in to the room and rip the covers off of him and pinch him as motivation.

All in all, it's a horribly stressful and irritating way to start the day having to deal with my husband like he's a child needing to get up for school. I always end up leaving late, and he makes me angry with his refusal to get up and do what he's supposed to before he goes to work. My husband doesn't have to be at work until 7:30 and we live five minutes from his workplace. Though I try to get him up in time to take care of the dogs (I take care of the cats in the morning) and get ready himself, I know that 4 out of 5 days a week that he is late to work.

This glorious morning:

I told Zach last night that if he wanted to bring the dogs upstairs to sleep in the room with us that he would have to get up the first time I told him to in the morning, no exceptions. He didn't want to agree to that and said he would try. I didn't budge and refused to allow the dogs upstairs until he agreed. The reason why I was so set on having his agreement is that the dogs have to make it all the way downstairs and through the house to get outside in the morning if they sleep overnight in our room. Their crate downstairs is right next to the door. With two little bladders among the three dogs, I always worry about them not being able to hold it until they get outside. I worry from experience.

This morning was the best waking up experience on a weekday that I have ever had with my husband. The alarm went off the first time and he rolled over to snuggle with me. The alarm went off the second time and in tandem we pulled the covers off of ourselves and got out of bed. I started to get ready for work and he went downstairs with the dogs to let them out. When I got downstairs there was coffee waiting for me in my travel mug. My husband made it just the way I like it, with lots of cream, and had it ready to pick up and head out the door with. It was a wonderful start to my day.

We said our goodbyes like always, but I kissed him a few extra times. I can't explain the difference it made on my day to have such a wonderful morning. The day seemed to sail by smoothly, and I was warmed through and through by the memories of it for the entire day.

I wish that there was a button responsible for the success of this morning so that I could push it every night before going to bed, like programming the coffee maker. I can't expect to have the same experience tomorrow morning, but I can always hope.

Image from kilonad on Flickr

Monday Happy Post

It's a good thing that I designated Mondays for mandatory happy posting. It will save me from ranting about my husband and writing things that I'll regret and want to edit later.

So...instead, I will talk about our new coffee maker! We have an amazing new coffee maker with no carafe. Our Hamilton Beach 12-Cup BrewStation from Wal-mart is worth its weight in gold. You brew your coffee into the heated and insulated station and dispense it into your coffee cup. No pouring, no spilling, and no thermal carafes needed. It is a modern marvel! Nothing could be better than programming your coffee maker at night and having only to press your travel mug up to the dispenser bar in the morning. I give this coffee maker a five star rating.

Yes, I love my Hamilton Beach 12-Cup BrewStation from Wal-mart so much that I will promote it here on my blog. Buy one, people! You won't regret it. Where would you be on a Monday without coffee? Excuse my vulgar acronym, but it says it best - SOL.

Levi and Diesel

On Saturday I signed up to foster two six month old kitties from Marley's Cat Tales. The boys are named Levi and Diesel. I originally went to the adopt-a-thon at the Briar Creek PetSmart to look at Joda, their other brother, and Levi. When I met the three boys, I found out from their original foster mom that Joda was really playful and incredibly independent. That sounds like it could be a good thing, but I like really lovey kitties, and he wasn't much of a lap cat. The other two were described as very loving boys, and when I saw how adventurous Diesel seemed in the store, I thought that I'd take the two lovey boys with me. I am fostering to adopt to see how things turn out.

Handsome little Levi

Diesel looking ridiculously cute

Charlie is not liking his two new cat-mates. He acts like a grumpy old man. He hisses and growls and groans and complains that they are invading his home. He got to sniff Diesel all over as Diesel has the best manners for a young little guy that I've ever seen. He drops right into a submissive posture and bends over backwards to try and make Charlie realize he isn't a threat, but Charlie isn't impressed. Though Charlie got to check out Diesel, whenever Diesel made a move to sniff Charlie, he got slapped by grumpy Charlie.

I've never had to work to get cats to like each other. I know it takes some time and it has only been a day and a half, but I'm kind of at a loss here. When I first brought Charlie home to be a companion for Bosley, Bosley had only been in the house for three or four days on his own. It wasn't really his place yet. I think that helped the guys get accustomed to each other and no one had the chance to feel territorial. The little boys coming to this house is a completely different story. This has been Charlie's home for almost six months now.

Things are going slowly. Charlie has not gotten any more welcoming to the little boys since they came through the door. They, however, are doing quite well in their new home. They are running around and exploring whenever Charlie isn't in the room hissing at them. Levi has a case of the sniffles that I have to talk to his former foster mom about tomorrow, but other than that they seem comfortable here. They have proven to be just as described, very lovey boys, and I have had a great time having them curled up in my lap rubbing their cute little heads on my face or right under my chin. I'm pretty sure that I will keep both of them if everything turns out well. I think that I will be changing Diesel's name to Asher though. Asher is another Hebrew inspired name, and reflects his coloring well. Levi will still be Levi as I think it suits him just fine.

I hope that Charlie gets more comfortable with them by the end of the week. I'm going to talk to some of the foster people to get some advice, and we'll hope for the best. I'd like to say that I have three little kitty boys - Charlie, Asher and Levi. Doesn't that sound great? The whole family evened out. Two people, three dogs, and three cats. Perfection!

Chews Loudly

My husband chews loudly. This has been something that I have only noticed since we were married, but, amazingly, never in the almost 15 years that he has been my best friend. His loud chewing makes no sense to me. He chews loudly when he's eating soup! A food where everything is mushy!

I've told him that he chews loudly, but of course, he has not tried to do anything about it. This is a silly and petty thing to even bring up to him and hope that he will change, but it drives me insane. When we are seated at our breakfast nook eating dinner, it is all I can do to keep my mouth shut about the volume of his chewing.

It's funny how marriage lowers our tolerance and yet makes us keenly observant.

Ah, wedded bliss.

Diets, Husbands, and Unfair Realities

My husband has been loosing quite a bit of weight recently. I'm very proud of him. He started out at about 270 and is now down to only 229. He is thinner now than I've seen him in years. How has he done this?

1. Stopped buying fast food breakfasts with his coworkers. No more Bojangles, no more McDonalds, and no more Biscuit Stop or The Coffee Pot.
   
2. Cut out his beer. I don't think the man has had a beer since last year when at home. He's had one or two when we have gone out to eat, but that isn't very often. That of course is number three.
3. Cut back on eating out.
   
4. Watch his portions. He is now probably eating about 40% less at each meal than he was previously.

These are the only things that he has done. No working out, no major diet, and no giving up on desserts. He has done so well, and yet it has been so easy! (well at least to me)

What would happen if I did all of these things? Well guess what - I do! I've never had fast food breakfasts. I don't drink! I hardly ever eat out anymore (we eat out together), and I try to watch my portions. I also try to avoid things I know to be fatty and bad for me. So, what has happened to me? I'm still fat. I've even gained some weight lately. I'm at 182. This is so sad.

Men have it so easy. I love what my husband has been able to accomplish for himself, but I'm so jealous I can't believe that I'm not actually turning green...yes, I should be neon green.

Sick

I've been at home sick for the past two days and today. It has been nice to work from home all wrapped up in blankets on the couch, but it is awful having to deal with the slowness of my network in trying to get work done. That and not feeling well has seriously limited the joy of being at home. I was feeling better this morning though, and so I will be going back to work tomorrow. It's going to be so weird to have to get up and get ready to go to work instead of walking downstairs and firing up my laptop.

The weekend will be here soon enough though. Thank goodness for that.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

I found out today that Bosley died of Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This means that he had a heart attach instead of a seizure, and there was really nothing I could have done. This condition goes undiagnosed until this sort of thing happens. It didn't make things any better to know, but it's better than thinking that perhaps I could have saved him if I'd only known how to deal with the situation.

We will start looking for a new friend or friends for Charlie, as he is lonely. Hopefully we can find the perfect addition(s) to our family. I have the help of Independent Animal Rescue (IAR) and Marley's Cat Tales, two great foster rescue groups in my area. There are so many deserving cats looking for a forever home, there is no way that I would ever consider getting a cat that was not a rescue kitty. I have the greatest confidence in the help of these two groups to find my next feline fur kid(s).

I'll let you know what happens when there is news.

Weekend Wagoneer

I'm sorry I didn't post any this weekend, but it went by really quickly. Saturday was taken up by an 11 hour road trip that started at 2 pm. What kind of road trip takes 11 hours? The kind where you drive to the Outer Banks to look at a 1983 Jeep Wagoneer Limited. It was quite the adventure.

The drive to Avon, NC was only supposed to take us 4 hours each way.


View Larger Map

We decided to take the dogs with us, and this caused a few problems and delays that turned a 4 hour drive into a 5 1/2 hour trip down. So what could add an hour and a half onto our drive down?

Well, first off, Owen decided to poop in the back of the 4Runner. Not a pleasant thing when it's raining, the heat is on, and the windows can't be lowered. The other bad thing about this is that I couldn't keep Owen from running away from me. When I tried to secure him, he did just what I was trying to secure him to prevent - he walked through his own poop and walked it around the rest of the back of the 4Runner. Disgusting.

Now we know that Owen still has potty training issues. We've been working with him and he's been doing really well, but we've only had him for almost four weeks now. His last accident was over a week ago, so we thought we were almost safe. We never thought that he would poop in the truck. We stopped the truck and tried to get it up as best we could on the side of the road with loose pups in the back.

This accident required that we stop at the next exit and look for a place that might have some paper towels and a cleaner to get things cleaned up. Thank goodness for Super Wal-mart! I was able to get the paper towels, a carpet cleaner, two $4 rugs to have for the crate (which we finally opened up and put the pups in - Owen had pooped on their blanket), and two sodas for us to drink. I got the back of the truck cleaned while the pups went for potty walks, and we were back on the road in 30 minutes. Not too shabby for having to brave the lines in Wal-mart.

So, we finally made it to the couple's house that had the Jeep for sale. They were such nice people, and had an adorable puppy of their own! We looked the Wagoneer over as best we could in the dark with a flashlight, and then Zach took it out for a spin. We ended up buying it for $600 and then driving it back home. We were so glad when we made it home at 3 am and climbed into bed. Zach apologized for the trip. He thought that it would be a good time and a nice opportunity for us to have several hours of bonding time away from the house. He thought it was a failure, but while it was difficult, it really wasn't that bad.

Now we have a great 1983 Jeep Wagoneer. This will be something for Zach to work on, a good project that he can enjoy, a second "truck" in case he needs one, and it's also our new dog car. Maybe now we can take the pups on more road trips. Hopefully the next one will be more successful.

Sunday was a day to sleep late after getting back so early in the morning. We had our pancakes for breakfast like normal, it was just later than usual. It was a good relaxing day.

A Free Friday Afternoon

There is nothing like a Friday afternoon when you can go home early. I happened to work through lunch today and decided that I'd just leave when I made my 40 hours. When I checked my time, I had one minute left! I was so excited! I got to leave work at just before 2 p.m. today and made it home by 3 p.m. The puppies and kitty and I have been enjoying the warmer weather and played outside.


Tonight it's game night! Every other Friday night we go to one of our friend's houses and they host our group game night. I can't wait to play Apples to Apples and eat dinner with everyone. It's such a nice way to spend a Friday night.

Eventually it will be our turn in March to host the game night. I still haven't decided which games I think we should play. I'm thinking that I might invest in Hilarium, as it comes highly recommended from a friend of mine.



All in all, it should prove to be a wonderful evening, and a great start to the weekend. I'm hoping that I can be as productive this weekend as I was last weekend, but there are no guarantees.

Quiet Night

I'm sitting on the couch, and I was reading, but now I'm looking at my wonderful little family. Zach is leaning up against me, asleep, with Charlie curled up in his lap. Omie is curled up on the other side of me, also asleep, and Penny and Owen are curled up in the crate asleep together. It's a wonderfully peaceful moment. The people I love (yes, my furry kids are people!) are all curled up and sleeping around me. This is happiness.

Kale Soup!

I made Kale Soup yesterday evening so that we could eat healthy and well for a week, and to entertain my father-in-law this evening. Kale Soup is a recipe that I inherited from my Aunt Kim who lives in Washington state. The original recipe calls for a few basic veggies and kale, but over the years I've expanded the variety of veggies I put in it.

This soup never fails to please. People who haven't even heard of the green, or who are generally opposed to foods that are green in nature, love this soup. I have decided that I would like to share my recipe, although there are no exact ingredients. Here is my best attempt at getting them down.

Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped
2 small/medium zucchinis (courgettes), chopped
2 small/medium yellow squash, chopped
2 medium turnips, peeled and chopped
3 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
4 or 5 medium red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large (or 2 small) rutabagas, peeled and chopped
7 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 sticks of celery, finely chopped
16-20 stalks of kale, rinsed and greenery pulled from stems
3 quarts (2.8 litres) of prepared chicken broth, low sodium if possible
1 lb (16 oz, 454 g) turkey kielbasa, cut in medium thick, half wheels
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place chopped veggies and kielbasa in at least a 4 quart (3.8 litre) pot - the bigger the better. Pour chicken broth over the veggies and then add water if needed to fill the pot to 1.5 inches (6.25 cm) below the edge. Add as much salt and pepper as you wish.
2. Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Add kale to pot, pushing down as you add it, and cover pot with a lid.
4. Cook for 5 minutes and stir kale down into soup.
5. Repeat twice.
6. Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook, stirring occasionally for 25-30 minutes. Kale should be well cooked but not falling apart.

Serve hot with warm bread for a delicious meal!

This soup freezes very well, and can last for as long as a week in the fridge if stored and covered properly.

Enjoy!

Pedipaws....

So, I stopped by PetSmart on the way home to get the dogs some new food. Owen has been having problems with making it outside since he constantly seems to have diarrhea. We decided to go with Nutro brand foods - Sensitive Stomach for Owen, and High Energy for Omie and Penny.

While I was there, they were advertising the newest nail trimmer, Pedipaws.

Pedipaws is an electronic rotating filing gadget that sands down the dog's or cat's nails. It comes with an instructional video that shows you how to introduce the product to your pets and then use it. I did not watch this video, my husband did - I was cooking. When I heard him fussing at the dogs for not holding still, I went out to see what was going on. Penny was cowering in the corner, and Zach had Omie penned down and was trying to keep her from running away from the buzzing Pedipaw. Owen wasn't staying in one place, just roaming around the room.

I decided that I would give Zach a hand, and held onto Omie while he tried to work on her nails. She didn't want any part in this plan. When I moved on to Penny, she was trembling and kept trying to get away. Finally, I thought I'd try it on Charlie, and he didn't have much of a problem with it. We got one paw almost completely done before he decided he didn't want to lay around anymore.

When I asked Zach what the video had shown in regards to getting the dogs used to the Pedipaw, this is what he said, "They show the product to the pet, turn it on, and everyone laughs." This is one instance where I love his sense of humor. He then summed up the video as, "they show it to the pet, the pet likes it, they praise the pet, they trim the pet's nails, they praise the pet, the pet loves it. Being able to trim one nail for 2 seconds is a good start."

I'm guessing that it's going to take a while to be able to use this thing properly. Sigh, no miracle.

Monday

Yes, it was a Monday today. It was a hard day to get up and go to work. I was still so tired this morning, but I made it to work on time and I was proud of myself. My husband and I had a tiff early this morning. The puppies started barking before five because someone needed to go out and potty. It is Zach's job to get up and take them out in the middle of the night because I have to get up in time to drive an hour to work. Well, I'm always the one that hears the puppies bark, and it is my job to tell Zach to get up. It irritates me to no end that he won't just get up and get it over with. If the puppies are barking because they need to potty, his delays may cause the newest pup, Owen, to have an accident.

This morning I had to nag him to get up and let them out. He was not happy about it, and decided that he would bring his dog, Penny, upstairs with him when he came back up. We had discussed this that night when he suggested bringing just her upstairs. I said that we had already decided that no dogs would be allowed in the bedroom after all the accidents, and that it wouldn't be fair to Omie and Owen. He brought her upstairs anyway. I got up and took her back downstairs and put her in the crate with the others.

When my phone alarm started to go off at 5:30, I decided that I would give him a taste of his own medicine in response to his bringing Penny upstairs. I let it go off without getting up to get it. Zach will often get up and get it for me, but he didn't feel like being nice this morning, and I was going to make a point. He asked me if I was going to get it. I gave him his classic response whenever I tell him to get up, "I'm getting up." And of course I didn't move. The phone alarm went off and started again five minutes later. The same thing happened - "Are you going to get that?" I moved around and turned over and said "I'm getting it." He couldn't stand it. He got up and told me he was going downstairs to sleep on the couch with his dog.

When I came downstairs before heading out to work, I saw him asleep on the couch with Penny curled up at his feet. They looked adorable, but I was still making a point. I kissed him goodbye and headed out the door.

I'm not good at holding a grudge, and I was over it by the time I had gotten a few miles down the road. I called him to see what he might want me to make for dinner to make amends.

I guess we'll both work through these irritations and find a happy medium for the both of us, but it's going to be painful until we do.

Ok, so Monday posts are supposed to be happy and cheerful, but I think I needed to get this out there, that Zach and I are like any normal couple - we can be petty.

I'm glad that we don't hold grudges though, and that while we may get angry at each other during the day, we never go to bed angry. I love Zach, he loves me, and I love a happy home. It takes work to get everything you want, and it takes patience and more hard work to keep it. Happiness is an earned reward for taking the bad with the good. We all have our faults, and we all need second chances...or one millionth chances.

Sunday, the end of my week

Zach and I had a conversation about something that happened on Thursday before last. To me, that means it happened last week as my weeks run from Monday to Sunday. I know that the calendar week runs from Sunday to Saturday, but that doesn't make any sense to me. If it is the "weekend", doesn't that mean it is the end of the week? We don't start doing anything on Sunday, we are winding down our weekend, so why is that the start of the week? Monday is always the first day of the week in most things, so I'm not sure why our calendar doesn't reflect that.

Today was an interesting day. We went to church with my father, and while the message was good, the mode of delivery was not exactly my style. I have been to some great Pentecostal Holiness churches, and though I have nothing to say against the actual message - which is the most important thing by far - I'm not into unnecessary acting out. I understand being moved by the spirit. I do not understand putting on a show as if the congregation was a theatrical audience. The only other thing that I have to say is that the Bible is very clear about speaking in tongues in church.

1 Corinthians 14:26-28 (NIV)

²⁶What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. ²⁷If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.

It is my personal opinion, and I know that other people feel differently and have every right to, that when someone speaks out in tongues in church and there is no one there to interpret, then they are purposefully (though they may have deluded themselves) speaking gibberish to call attention to themselves before others to prove the depth of their faith. I believe that God does not feel praised from, nor care about, our silly concerns with what other people might think about us. He knows us through and through. Our outward actions are to be used to witness to others by sharing His love and displaying His presence in our lives. Our actions must be a testimony, not a stumbling block.

1 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV) addresses this well -

⁹Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.

We must be careful of what our actions communicate to others if we are always striving to have others see Jesus through us. If we act out in church before an unbeliever and they have cause to think that we are "crazy", does that not sound like a stumbling block has been placed before them on their path to salvation? I think so.

I am by no means a perfect example of Christ's love - my outward actions leave much to be desired as a witness of my belief. I am not "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," (James 1:19 -NIV) as I should be. Nor do I always "trust in the LORD with all [my] heart and lean not on [my] own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5-NIV) I trust too much in my own understanding by far. However, I think my opinions in these matters are valid. I only hope that I can in the future be a better witness of my faith - at the moment I am pitifully weak in my dedication to "walk the walk". Lately I am more talk than anything, and that results in nothing these days. Pray that I will work towards putting as much time and energy into my relationship with Christ as I do with the ultimately meaningless things in my life.

Thank goodness for Bible Gateway, by the way. I know what the scriptures say in general, but I have not made myself learn them by heart as I should. The scriptures used above were found through using Bible Gateway to provide me with the exact scriptures where I only knew the basic information they conveyed.

I honestly never meant for this post to be a religious rant of sorts, but that just sort of happened. I feel strongly about my spiritual beliefs. May God forgive me for my shortcomings in this area.

If I struck a cord with you, let me know. Feel free to disagree with me and let me know what you think.