Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Negotiator Strikes Again

I think I need to change The Man's blog nickname.

After the discussion regarding the knife and scouts, today we have a new creative offering.

The Man has wanted to dress as the grim reaper for a couple years now. I have always tried to turn the kids to less dark characters. But then again, I suppose Werewolves are rather dark and we had fun with that....

Anyway, I returned today from running errands and was met at the door by The Man.

After having hinted at the grim reaper several times over the past week, he searched while I was gone and found a large piece of black fabric of mine (how did he do that when he can't find his cell phone??).

He says it will take sewing, but he has come up with an idea....

The grim reaper on vacation!!

He would add a camera and vacation attire to the black cape.

Very creative again.

But once he saw I had a black cape we compromised and he is happily going to be the headless horseman.

Maybe "The Negotiator" would be a better blog nickname...


Smiles!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Oh Linus, They are all great pumpkins!

‎"Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere.



 He's gotta pick this one. He's got to.


I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one.

You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy.



Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see. "


 (Linus, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown)
                                (did you see the shadow faces??)
                                                                             Smiles!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

ABC Wednesday - " O "



Officers overpowering an out of commission car,
obverting the car out of oncoming traffic.

 As we were working the Church pumpkin sale, our attention was grabbed by a loud boom. The tire on the car blew and ripped to shreds. Before long, another car pulled up (un marked) and the two officers helped the lady
move her car off the road safe and sound.

ABC Wednesday's Here...

Smiles!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

And He Trys

The Man came home from a visit with his dad this past weekend, arms full with new toys. Not kid toys, well because he is 14 and his taste in toys has changed. He comes in loaded down with hand me downs - great ones - 2 fishing poles, a tackle box full of lures, a canteen and then his favorite: a knife.

He pulls it from it's sheath all excited. The handle is hollow, containing a sharpening thingy and a small piece of rope. When closed there is a compass on the end of the handle.

Now tomorrow he heads out  with his Boy Scout troop for a week helping lead younger scouts on a camping competition type weekend. He decided a few days ago this is perfect timing. He can take his new knife. But he can't.

Him: I can't wait to take this this weekend.
Me and Will (in unison): no you can't
Him: Yes, I can (not disrespectful)
Will: no you can't, it is a sheath knife, and those are not allowed at scout events
Him: but it is a survival knife. See, it has a compass
Will: but it is still a sheath knife, you can not take it
Him: but I could . . .
Will and Me (in unison): NO! it is still a sheath knife.


So Tuesday evening The Man and Will are talking in another room when I hear Will say, "you cannot take a sheath knife."

Later, I asked about the conversation.  The Man had decided a way that the knife would be allowed.

With enthusiam and KNOWING he had found a solution: "I will take it just so I can show the younger scouts what NOT to bring to scout camping events."  He tried.

Smiles!

Oh, the answer is still no!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

ABC Wednesday - Night on The Nineteenth at Nine

ABC Wednesday...check out more "N" post here



‘Twas deep; so deep of night,

When I saw what I had seen -
So truly deep of night,
When I went where I had been,
And really deep of night,
When I heard what I had heard:
Perhaps a fox or badger,
Or a sort of night-time bird.

‘Twas late that night of nights,
When something there was there -
So very late that night of nights,
Where that thing was where -
'Twas deep of night of nights,
When it ran to where it ran:
Perhaps a stoat or Billy goat,
Or ghostly little man.

‘Twas in the night of night of nights,
When something scary caused a scare -
So late of night of night of nights,
When something hairy raised my hair -
The deep of night of night of nights…

So don’t you wonder what it was?
Well I never really truly saw it –
Why? Because because!

‘Twas in the night of night of night of nights
Oh I've had enough!
Night night.
Ricky Baker

Sunday, October 17, 2010

I stand amazed

I am filled to the top and bubbling over. I would not have thought that as the day began.

As the songs at church played, their words tugged at my heartstrings as I considered our friends sitting behind us, continuing down this painful path of mourning the death of their son. As the pastor drew us into the sermon reminding us to recognize our blessings and from whom they flow, tears flowed behind us, tears flowed from us as this couple thought about the blessing of the child now gone.

They left during the last song, and after a little time we decided to visit them. We visited, hugged, cried, laughed and left truly touched by the strength that is carrying them through this time. Daily they struggle with waking up and being hit with the reality of not seeing their son. Daily they delve into the Bible and devotions, work and move through the day. He shared how he is making a point to visit with all of his son’s friends. One, they had over the evening before, and shared his faith and his son’s faith, making sure the friend remembered where his son had turned for strength and answers. Each friend he is giving a Bible. They are working on the epitaph, but there is so much they want to say, and they want it to be something that will speak strongly to all that will see it. In the midst of his pain, at times confusion, he is encouraging and loving and sharing God’s love and God’s help.

Between taking The Man to church and the Bible study I attend, I called a friend whose grandfather passed away last week. At 98, he spent the last few weeks in my friend’s home in a hospital bed, after a couple years in a couple nursing homes. She had closed a business the first of the year and for the past 6 months she has cared for this gentleman, handling all that comes with the position of a caregiver. The plan has been to eventually start job hunting, but pop’s care was the priority now.

Last week another friend at church mentioned, in a group, that an employee was leaving and they would soon be in a desperate need for the position to be filled. Not knowing that this other friend needed a job, they were told of the need. Now there is an interview in the morning.

In the same conversation, she shared an event worthy to be sent to Guidepost. Last Thursday, as she settled in, having returned from the funeral, to handle papers and catch up on email, her phone beeped that she had a new message. She opened the message, seeing it was from her 14 year old, and there was a picture of her pop, a hat on, a lollipop in his mouth and a smile on his face. While she was touched by this happy picture of him, she knew she had to address the use of the cell phone during school. When her daughter came home a little later, she showed her the picture and mentioned about the phone use at school. Her daughter reminded her he didn’t have his phone. It was on the dresser and turned off and he had not sent it earlier.

And while this may not seem that great of the day, it was more than enough to fill my cup with joy. At the end of this day I am so thankful of the witness of others of the work God is doing in their lives, and their willingness to share and bless others.

And at the end of this day…

I stand amazed!


The heavens are telling the glory of God
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
Psalms 19:1-4

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

ABC Wednesday - M as in Morning



Morning...
As I wondered and worried about my lack of creativity with M, I found this I took a few days ago, on one of the few cool mornings we have had. The rising sun's rays landing on the changing dogwood tree's leaves.

Many marvelouse M links can be found and followed here.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Fall for a Winner

Ok ladies, hubs drew a name from the butter dish, but first, one of my memories that I think of in this season.
I have posted it once before, but I think it is so much fun to read in fall:

They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere.

When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here –

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin of the bees;
 
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock
 
Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;

And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through

With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...

I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be

As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—

I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

James Whitcomb Riley


And the winner:

drumroll please

..

..

..

..


Send me your address and I will send along your goodie!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Feeling Like Fall - Let Me Do A Giveaway

It is October 1st!


I can’t believe we are already this close to the end of the year.
Fall is here and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming in fast.

So let’s have some fun! Let me give away something to start the season off.

How about a tray…





And let’s see, how should we do entries…

Maybe something just simple, no tricks, no great leaps, just a comment of what your favorite thought, memory or tradition for this last quarter of the year.


I will randomly pick a winner Sunday…

Let's have fun!