My Dad

Because I was born on the day before Halloween, my dad has always teased me about being a witch. This year, he had all the more reason to do that, as I called him a month or so ago to ask him for some of his blood. Yes, some of his blood. There is research going on in Minnesota on ataxia, and they already have a sample of my blood, so the researchers asked for samples from close family members.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

My Mom

My mom was extraordinary. She was the ultimate modern Proverbs 31 woman, caring for her family, growing always in faith and love, and cherishing her friendships. My mom was a great friend. She made a special effort to befriend the women she worked with, and also the women my dad worked with. This is the reason I go out of my way to maintain the friendships I've made throughout my life. I admit I struggle to understand those who don't value friendships as I do. Putting forth effort to grow and maintain friendly relations with those in my world, with all those who have a role to play as actors on the stage of my life, is something I will always do.

How to Make a Girl Think You're a Creep, or How To Make Girls Run From You, or How To Never Get a Girl to Talk to You

The other day, I was out on an errand, and I was walking through a parking lot. As I walked, someone honked. I kept walking. They honked again. I turned around to see who it was. It was a man I didn't know, waving and honking at me. I kept walking. So, what I want to know is this: has this method of wooing a woman EVER worked? Has any woman in history ever walked over to a strange man just because he did something to imply that he found her attractive? Has any woman ever stopped what she was doing and thought to herself, "Hmmm . . . that man seems to like the way I look. I think I'll go talk to him."?? I hope not. That would be an insult to my fairer gender. Guys, come on! You'll never get a (normal) girl that way. Get real, and don't be creepy.

A Season of Contrasts, or A Butterfly And a Moth.

As Rufus and I were strolling through the neighborhood on the way to lunch, I noticed the skeletons hanging from houses, and the skull yard lights, and the tombstones. I recalled a conversation I had just this morning about a very sick, and possibly dying, friend of mine. Over the phone, the friend on the other end of the line was telling me that several people she knows are overwhelmed at the sight of my sick friend who appears to be dying in the hospital. It is a wonder to me how some people celebrate ghoulish and ghastly bodies while others are repulsed by them. I wonder if those two groups overlap. Maybe hanging a plastic representation of death and dying makes people forget that that is really what a dying person may look like. Maybe laughing at the silly image makes them forget the gruesome reality.

It all reminds me of a moth and a butterfly. Both seem so similar, yet the one grosses people out, and the other evokes warm and happy feelings and is the subject of cheesy love songs. Why? I don't get it.

Totally "T'ed O." about BFF "grammar."

I explained "T'ed O." in a previous post. I will now move on to my next perturbing and perplexing pet peeve, the BFF. Best Friend Forever. My complaint is that the grammatically unaware and ignorant masses pluralize that by saying "BFFs." Have you ever heard anyone talking about their "Best Friend Forevers"? I propose the pluralization be changed to "BFsF", as in, "My three BFsF and I went to the mall Saturday." These texting abbreviations drive my generally grammatically correct mind mad. The disturbing trend drives me to drink. I'm going to Starbucks.

Family Ties

I've written a lot about my friends, so I thought I'd write about my family this time, especially since there is a unique bond shared with family. True it is that those in the family of God share a special kinship, yet familial relations are to be treasured also. I've been reflecting on my mom's life, and on her faith in Jesus. I wonder who will reflect on my life and my faith in Jesus after I die. I have already chosen a young relative who will be most likely to cherish my beloved Bible the way I cherish my mom's.
The thing that made me begin to reflect on this particular topic is the movie "Nicholas Nickleby", based on the book by Charles Dickens. In the book (and movie), an abandoned youth wonders aloud who will be with him when he dies. The answer is a strange and unexpected mix of family and friends.
Some of my family are friends, and some of my friends are family. That is a blessing not to be taken lightly.

Trading Realities

Today, after a series of days filled with a little bit of extreme difficulty, I had today off. A day to rest. A day to myself. So I had a visit and a sandwich with my best friend. As I was walking back to my car after lunch, I remembered a cute furniture store and coffee shop that I had always wanted to go to. I wondered if I should go there for a refreshing iced mocha, and a casual stroll through the furniture. I simply asked myself, "Why not?" And that, I thought, was an excellent answer.

Totally "T'ed O" about the flippant disregard for correct grammar.

OK, so I'm making a presumption about my readers. I'm assuming we've all heard, if not used, the phrase "ticked off" at some point. I will further assume that we've heard the abbreviated form of that, "t. o'ed." My anger and confusion is this: the saying is "ticked off." So, in the name of all that's holy and consistent, I say the abbreviation should be "t'ed o." (Because you never hear anyone say they were "tick offed.") What do you think? This is a major dilemma in my brain, and I will always say "t'ed o." because that is consistent and, I believe, incontrovertibly correct.