A Funny Childhood Memory

After Sunday school one day when I was a little girl, I was eager to tell my dad what I had learned. "God made me", I said. "No, I made you", my dad said. We argued back and forth a while before I eventually conceded and thrust out my hip, showing him my birthmark, and I told him, "Well, you sure didn't do a very good job!!"

Tough girl.

YES!!!! I actually and physically threw my hands up in the air in pure and unadulterated joy when I took a quiz that told me I am most like--drum roll, please--KATE AUSTEN in LOST. That girl rocks!!!! She'll protect and defend her friends to the death, she'll beat a path through the jungle, and then she'll make a nice dinner for everyone.

I've always admired a woman who would run down the street and tackle the guy who just stole her friend's purse and then go to a nice tea party with that friend and talk about life's joys and sorrows, and laugh and cry with her friend. My mom was like that, and I hope I am like that. I want to be. I want to be like my friend who invited me over for tea, and as we sat on the couch sipping our tea in fancy china teacups, we watched a football game on TV. In between yelling at the football players, "Tackle 'em!! Smush 'em!!", she asked me if I wanted "one lump or two."

My Cycas Revoluta

. . . otherwise known as a Sago Palm, looks like a very short palm tree and also a very big pineapple. In keeping with the proverb that says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart.", I am a new student of the plants and other things in my yard. I figure since this big "pineapple bush" has welcomed me home every night for 12 years, it deserves to be called by its proper name.
With that preface, I would like to share some personal thoughts on an article I read about prayer. My longtime readers and friends already know me as a person who enjoys praying. I love talking to my Lord. Reflecting on the answered prayers of this last year has led me to the conclusion that prayer indeed changes things. Sometimes the answer to my prayer was "no", and sometimes "yes." Whichever answer it was, something changed . . . I changed. Thinking back over this past year, the most dramatic thing to happen was not an answer to prayer-it was better-it was something so good that I wouldn't have even thought to pray for it. It was a "chance" encounter with a dear friend. This one encounter spawned so many prayers, and tears, much joy and fellowship, and fostered new and wonderful friendships. Through this "chance" encounter with a dear friend from high school, I found out that our mutual friend was seriously ill. I raced to get back in touch with Our Mutual Friend, and found we had a lot in common, and very little had changed since the high school days of giggling together and passing notes in class. I was so happy to have my friend back, and I prayed daily that we could enjoy our friendship for many more years. So far, it has been one year, and it has been a great year for me. I am so grateful to see that God has answered my prayer . . . for this year, anyway. This special friendship has catapulted my prayer life, and also caused me to reflect on the answers I have taken for granted . . . such as the privilege of getting to know and love her family, and becoming friends with her friends.

Photographical Road Trip With Canine Support

I woke up tired and hot . . . too tired and hot to take Rufus for a walk. So I took him for a drive. I was noticing the amazing display of wildflowers yesterday as my life-navigator and driver zoomed down the highway in radiant, rumbling splendor. So I decided that same highway would be our photographic destination today. I got my dog and I got my camera and headed out. It was spectacular! We drove through a hidden town, and then past the workplace of my best friend, and that of my husband (which happens to be the same workplace in the same building.) My better and more technological half had already left to fill his belly with friends--I mean, he had gone out with a group of friends to fill their bellies together (that was a dangling participle, the part of the sentence that made it sound like my love was going to put some of his friends in his stomach. I don't remember much from school, but I remember dangling participles; look for them when you're out-they're everywhere!!), so I went to say hello to my very happy and busy friend. After a brief visit, Rufus and I headed toward town, but I made a last minute decision to take my little canine companion for a photographic foot-journey. I said it is hot here. Hot and dry. So dry that the little river that runs through town caught on fire. That was the desired goal of our little jaunt-a picture of the fire damage. I am glad to say that there was very little damage, and what damage there was, was confined to a small area. After our drive and short walk in this hot and dry weather, Rufus and I enjoyed watching a movie about ice trekking in the Alps. They went snow shoeing, too. I would like to go snow shoeing, but I don't enjoy the snow, and I don't know if I would be welcome to go snow shoeing at the beach. Well, I have posted a picture or two of our overland wildflower trek on my Flickr page. You can see them by clicking on the green Flickr badge to the right.