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Showing posts from June, 2006

May I please have my two hours and thirty-seven minutes back?

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I was so excited to go see Superman Returns this evening. We Fandangoed and everything! I had two motives- I wanted to actually see the movie, and secondly, I had read some things and wanted to see for myself before I offered my $.02. Uh yeah. The thing is, I really don't want to give this much more time and energy than I already have. Yep, it was that disappointing. Really. ***Spoiler Alert*** I won't go into the obvious pandering to Christians. Superman has always be something of a Christ figure, but this went too far. Plus, there were MAJOR holes in this idea-- not the least of which is that Christ was sinless, and Superman is not. I am actully sitting here shaking my head as I type. Oh well. My advice: wait for video, and take your money to see Cars. Just to let you know how bad this was, J said to me on the way out, "I would rather have seen The Devil Wears Prada. "

Grey skies are gonna clear up...

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My Google homepage has all sorts of fun doohickies on it, but I really like the weather glimpes. I have local weather on there, along with "back home" weather . Today, for the first time in well over a week, there is no rain in their two-day forecast. Hopefully, Hurlock and Seaford and the rest of the Delmarva Peninsula can dry out. So far, our families have been safe and dry, but many others were not so fortunate. Now comes the real fun-- mosquitoes !!!

Ugh!

It doesn't bode well for my weekend that we are having company tomorrow and have no running water in our kitchen. This really stinks. (I was thinking a less polite word that still starts with "s," but I exercised restraint. Can I get a cookie?) On the bright side, I had a good excuse for why I didn't shine my sink last night!

MWF ISO Perfect Sandals.

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Me: over-pronator who loves long walks, afternoons by the pool and skirts. You: supportive, not too wide, and cute. (No wedges please) I am thinking about placing this ad in the local paper. See, I have this heel pain , and i know exactly why. It is the oh-so-adorable $5 flip-flops from Kohl's. They are hot pink plaid. And then there are the blue beaded little numbers. Those were $3 at Target. *sigh* So now, in between popping Aleve, I am shoe shopping. No more will I have a wardrobe of sandals. Nope, I will be a one pair woman. (maybe two, if I can sweet-talk J) Dansko, here I come!

Three cheers for Operation Rescue!

Hip Hip Horray! I do not always agree with their tactics, but this seems to me to be the way to go! Each clinic purchased (at fair market value, of course) and closed is a step in this journey. Especially if they replace each abortion clinic with a crisis pregnancy center where these women can get proper medical attention, counseling, and support. This story totally makes my day!!!!!

Ok, I guess my bp would look about normal now...

This is a few weeks old, but I only came across the article this weekend. I have been stewing about it ever since. Why does this woman, who is apparently very educated, fail to take responsibility for her own actions? Someone, please make me see how her failure to use ANY birth control, her failure to be fully informed about her prescriptions , and her decision to terminate the resulting pregnancy are somehow the current administration's fault? As for the ability of doctors to decline prescriptions, I still see no problem. Any doctor should be allowed to decline elective procudres as a mater of conscience. What is the problem? The fact the the FDA did not approve Plan B for over the counter use? Umm hmm. I wonder, if it is so safe, why Dana L's midwife wouldn't write her a prescription for the drug without examining her? Then came this. The online discussion where Ms. L continues to dodge responsibility, and makes snarky comments to those who ask her why she sees f

Continued War on Free Speech?

I need to preface this post with the following: It is my opinion that Fred Phelps is a truly sick and twisted man (quite possibly evil). I think there should be a special place reserved in hell for people like him. Taking such delight in the tragedies of war is beyond reprehinsible. That being said, I will defend his right to protest all he wants. Sorry. I know you guys will jump all over me for this, but it is how I feel. Is it tacky? Yes. Is it insensitive? Of course! Is it protected by the US Constitution? Well, it used to be- not so sure these days. Florida, however, has taken yet another chisel to the Bill of Rights by UNANIMOUSLY passing this bill. Jeb signed it, of course. The new law increases the penalties to include fines of up to $1000, and, get this-- up to a year in jail. I wonder, in light of something my B-I-L posted, would this effectively mean a death sentence for someone of Fred Phelps's ilk? Also, as an additional note, get this quote from the mull

Little rodents... Rats, I suppose

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One of my favorite things about my job (aside from the ridiculous amount of money they pay me) is the wildlife. Ok, so it's basically some sparrows and a few chipmunks. But we have an endangered plant sanctuary across the street from us, too. Anyway, the chipmunks amuse me to no end. I love watching them scamper in and out of the pallets of stone, scouring the yard for food. I try to get out to feed the birds in the morning before my boss gets in, because he chases the chipmunks off. Confession time, now. (Because I am going to beat the rest of you to it- ha!) I was town raised , and we only had squirrels in our areas. I perhaps saw a couple chipmunks when we were camping at Mariana Caverns , but that's about it. Other than that, it pretty much Chip and Dale for me. I do, however, remember my first real encounter with a chipmunk. I was 12 0r so, and we were on our annual summer adventure. Mom packed the kids up and took off across country, with Dad meeting us somewh

Wesley Covenant Prayer...

To piggy-back with yesterday's post... I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen. John Wesley was truly ruined.

So, can I sue?

Parents' cigarette smoke harms kids for years - Children's Health - MSNBC.com Warning: the following contains high levels of sarcasm. This is a blemish on our society. Why, these parents are subjecting their children to life-long consequence of their actions. I am sure that my asthma is my father's fault. My multiple environmental allergies have no bearing on this whatsoever. Nosiree. In fact, I betcha that his smoking scarred not only my lungs, but also my self-esteem. My asthma prevented me from excelling at sports, and that makes me feel bad. The findings are a “stark reminder” that legal efforts to reduce exposure to cigarette smoke in workplaces aren’t protecting the group of people at greatest risk from passive smoking, young children, Drs. Mark D. Eisner of the University of California, San Francisco and Francesco Forastiere of the Rome E Health Authority in Italy write in an editorial accompanying the study. “Children are primarily exposed to tobacco smoke in

A couple odds and ends, which actually may come together

... by the end of the post. (Whenever that will be). In my cyber-wanderings I came across a blessing prayed over Henri Nouwen: May all your expectations be frustrated. May all your plans be thwarted. May all your desires be withered into nothingness. That you may experience the powerlessness and the poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit. At the time, I simply tagged the post and moved on. I must have figured there was some relavence somewhere in there. I am not kidding myself that I have adversity, trust me. When I am rational, I know that my life, while it may feel uphill sometimes, is a breeze. I have a husband and family who love me, a cat who (when she forgets that she is lofty and above us all) is pretty hopelessly attached to me, and I know when my next meal will be. (Bonus: it will be cooked by aforementioned husband-- eat your hearts out, ladies) But something sort of clicked in to place at our small group last week.

In case you need a reminder...

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... Of why I am not a fan of the UN, here is yet another attempt to undermine the sovreignty of memeber-states. I am by no means an isolationist, mainly because I recognise that much is expected of those to whom much is given. I do think that representative democracy should be encouraged-- even if we disagree with the laws selected by new governments. However, this kind of vague language is what chafes: Article 13 1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice. 2. The exercise of this right may be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others; or (b) For the protection of national security or o

We laughed out loud...

... when we saw this ad. Oh. My. Gosh. This campaign is getting high marks from the Las Vegas Wolskes!

A day late and a dollar short, I suppose

I know Father's Day is over and done. Sundays, however, are not the best blogging days for me-- too much to do. (I suppose that is another post entirely) I didn't get to talk to my dad until 4:00 yesterday afternoon, which is 7:00 his time. What's more, he had to call me. Now before you get out your bad daughter switches, I have to offer that I did call him. Four times. Really. See, that is pretty typical of my dad. The first time I called him, he was most likely in church. The next next time was when he was out tending to his chickens. The next two calls, he was teaching confirmation class, and Mom suggested that she have him call me when he got home. Service. That's an important lesson from my childhood. Now this is not some sob story about how my Dad was always too busy helping others. Because he was NEVER too busy for us. Never. He did, however, teach us (by his example) the importance of true community. Of doing life with others. Sometimes it was chur

Mini rant. (Maybe a runt?)

Something I didn't hear, even once this weekend, was the mention of Father's Day as a so-called "Hallmark Holiday." Mother's Day was called such. What gives? (Not that I agree with the characterization, mind you)

For Sale... Cheap!

One previously enjoyed husband .

My Love-Hate Relationship with Technology

Tonight I am all about the love. Since the Rock Star set up our wireless network, I can blog from the couch. Like tonight, for instance. We are ensconced on the couch, minus Tele (a rare occurrence, BTW) watching PBS. At least I think it is PBS. Blue Collar TV comes on public television, right? I jusy have to share that I am convinced that Larry the Cable Guy is J and M 's long lost triplet. I really must check with my mother in law about this... Check it out for yourself!

This man needs a diction coach!

Bryan Scofield gave his weather teaser saying the following: "When we come back, we'll see what the forecast is callin' fer" Ugh!

Where have all the churches gone?

Here in our fair city, we have and continue to experience growth that can safely be labeled as explosive. The county hosts two of the top three fastest growing cities in the US . Much of this development, expecially recently, is in Master Planned communities. It is a lovely thing to see developers take retail, services, and even medical needs into consideration when planning new residential communities. Looking on the Clark County website, I came across outlines for several of the largest developments on the books. Pretty great stuff. But one thing is missing. There are no provisions for houses of worship. There is retail space, school space, even parkland that is spelled out. But nothing set aside for churches (or mosques or temples). It has got me wondering about the future of churches. Will a building with a sanctuary, classrooms, and fellowship hall be a rarity in the future? With land prices as they are, even I question what kind of stewardship it is to buy land for a b

No willpower.

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When I was 14, I ate an entire flat of fresh cherries in two days. I was very sick, and my grandfather laughed and laughed, because he had warned me. Apparently, I have learned nothing in the last 16 years. It will be J's turn to laugh. My PopPop would have love it!

The Problem of Men

Father's Day is approaching, and with it come the inevitable discussions within the community of believers as to how it should be "handled in churches." There are those who feel that fathers get the short end of the stick, and that our churches should help to remedy that. There are those who feel disconnected, perhaps because they have lost a child, or their own father did not do honor to the job. There are those who really don't care either way (though I suspect most of us, when pressed, do indeed have strong deep feelings about this). Of course, we don't even have to look specifically to Father's Day to encounter some of the problems that arise for men in the church. At the last General Conference the UMC finally woke up to the absence of men in the pews. Other mainline denominations are noticing the same thing. To this I say, "It's about darned time!" Way back in 1990 (which may not seem too far until you consider that kids born in 1990 c

I feel your pain, man!

Blogger is trying to drive me insane the last week of so. Am I the only person having difficulty? Anyway, J showed me this video , and I am unable to embed it. So please, take the time to click through. I is 3 minutes and 15 seconds well spent.

I am probably putting my eternal soul at risk...

... But I laughed at this video

Baby Steps...

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I have been a subscriber to the FlyLady's site for almost a year now. I have mastered the art of the 27 fling boogie, the clean car boogie, and the clean purse boogie. When the e-mails come, DH usually deletes them, as we are not yet truly "FLYing." It is a bit like the alcoholic who goes to AA for some time before he actually sobers up, you know? Well, today I accomplished a task that is a GIANT step out of CHAOS : I made a control journal . Other people may call it a household management binder, but it is the single spot in which I keep my grocery lists, menus, daily planner. routines, and cleaning lists. Woohoo!!! I printed up nifty forms, found a snazzy binder at Target, and off I went. Indexed, sheet protected, and everything is in one place. Now I have to designate a control center in the kitchen. My routines are designed, but nothing is carved in stone. That's the beauty-- we find what works for our family, which is more than a notion. J's jobs

From my morning commute...

1. Little Mini with the upgraded paint job: Cute car, but this is real life, not The Italian Job . Please merge into freeway traffic like the rest of us. 2. There are two turn lanes to get to the freeway. Why is it that the petroleum truck sees fit to take the left lane? 3. The oleander is blooming like gangbusters. It is pretty toxic. This got me wondering... Are poisonous plants a result of Fallen Creation? 4. Einstein Brothers fruit cup: A yummy healthy snack that includes bonus exercise!! (Had a hard time opening the sucker!) 5. Twenty percent humidity sucks.

Good thing we won the war...

A seventy-five year old pro life activist named Edward Atkinson has landed himself in jail for "sending offensive materials through the mails." Mr Atkinson sent photos of an abortion which had taken place at Queen Elizabeth Hospital to the hospital director. He had previously been warned about such a flagrant expression of his freedom of speech. I haven't seen the photos in question, but I have seen similiar abortion photographs. Folks, it is not a pretty sight. It sickens me. I wonder if he was able to make one person, just one person, think differently? I wonder if he thinks it was all worth it.

And another thing...

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If you DON'T know who Bishop Spong is, you might find this enlightening. Nice.

I took it again...

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You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan . You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 93% Neo orthodox 86% Emergent/Postmodern 64% Reformed Evangelical 54% Roman Catholic 54% Fundamentalist 46% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Classical Liberal 36% Modern Liberal 21% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Where would I pitch my tent?

The other day, I took a quiz and asked my DH to take the same quiz. I wanted to see how or results compared. BTW, If you have the time, it is pretty interesting. I wasn't surprised at how similar our results were, though I would have said our results would be reversed. He topped out as Wesleyan/ Holiness with Neo Orthodox second, and I topped out with Neo Orthodox, Wesleyan running a very close second. What I found odd, however, was how high our "Emergent/Postmodern scores were. (That and the fact that I had a higher Charismatic score than he) Postmoderism is something I regard with some disdain. I consider it lukewarm Christianity, "little c" Christianity if you will. So, I decided to do some reading, my thoughts being that this score was out of my own ignorance more than anything else. I knew who Bishop Spong was, but a couple other theologians (if he couldeven be classed with them) were not on my radar. In this research, I have read lots and lots abo

Is she for real?

More of our tax dollars at work... J is the newest sound engineer for the city in which we used to reside. (We are now in Las Vegas proper.) Yesterday was orientation day-- policies and procedures, paperwork, paperwork, and paperwork. Everyone's favorite form was present: the I-9. Now, as a naturalized citizen, he only has to show his Certificate of Naturalization (it is a "List A" document, establishes both ID and citizenship). What would be comical if it weren't so pathetic, is the HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER for the municipality not recognizing the adequacy of this document. Not only did she tell him he had to have something else to go with it, she further "explained" to him that citizenship did not equal employment eligibility. Sheesh! I must say, shame on the city for their ignorance. Kudos to J for showing much restraint, and not getting himself fired on the first day!

Are they for real?

WorldNetDaily: Public tax dollars fund racist school Apparently so. A quick look at the front page of the school's website sets of the first warning bell: Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School is a kindergarten through eighth grade public school dedicated to providing urban children of immigrant native families an excellent education founded upon their own language, cultural values and global realities. Just what is an immigrant native family? It sounds a bit oxymoronic to me. Reading on: Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School cultivates the gifts and talents of all its students through multiple language education, differentiated curriculum and instruction, and culturally enriched visual and performing arts. Glad to see that this charter school is doing what our public schools can't. Of course, that is the beauty of a charter school, isn't it? As the product of just one such school, I can tell you that the edu

Judging a book by its cover

Perhaps I should rephrase that. It is more like judging a blog by its banners. I read the Wesley Blog , published by evangelical UMC member Shane Raynor. He keeps a pretty extensive blogroll of UMC bloggers, and I check a few out from time to time. As I wait for the different sites to come up, I find myself glancing at the status bar to see whence their "extras" come. I also find myself reading these blogs with bias when I see certain sites come up, in particular " MakePovertyHistory. " I wonder if most readers actually pay attention to sidebar links and banners? A couple people who were unfortunate enough to stumble upon my blog have commented on my World Magazine link, and I used to have a banner for " National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day " (which has been taken down only because the event was in April). What assumptions would a total stranger make by looking at my sidebar? Shoot, even my title may be misleading. It is not a reference to my personal lea