Wednesday–Productive

Today I got the boxes burned, the wallpaper burned, the mud-room wallpaper mess sort of cleaned out, finished up Serendipity, and addressed some coding issues on Dori’s blog, cleaned out the tape and video cabinet (we were up to about eight overflow baskets) began tackling the beginning of six loads of laundry, went through four paper baskets, cleaned two toilets, did my finance book stuff, scheduled a meeting with flooring people for tomorrow, got to visit with a drop-by friend for a few sweet minutes of refreshing (made my day, thanks!),  made my kids clean {the mommy is in a mood to stop saying things five times and then asked you to re-do it way}, burned more boxes, swept the kitchen floor twice, worked out a little, emptied a junk drawer completely, cleaned some more on the garage, emptied out some flower pots, ate supper at church, and went to finance class.  Now, more laundry, answering emails, and needing to tackle stuff on my desk that needs addressing before I put it back in a basket (No!).  Go me!

The Hub has been using my inhaler with an asthma flare leaving me down to one dose and am saving it for AM, but my throat is swelling shut…someone burned trash tonight and it’s come in through open windows, I guess.  Whew.  I hope I get some sleep tonight. My throat is so tight today it hurts.  Not used to all this asthma ordeal, obviously…I’m as boring as a 90-year-old lady and her house-keeping/health problems rant! 

I’d better sign off before my sorry blogging gets any worse today, people.  

Amazing Grace and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium Reviews and Weekend Notes

1. The slow and family oriented pace of this week with family and husband has been just what we needed, even with the occasion fit by one of us due to proximity overload.   I’ll take it.
2. I think I’m going to continue my “time of thanks” moving toward Christmas.   Thanksgiving is not a day to be thankful, but to set our heart toward thanks…I have come to realize this year that THAT is the anticdote to the “give me” attitude of Christmas.  Right now, presents are in the background, and I hope they stay there. 
3. Make lists of things that would bless you for those you love…it’s just a whole lot easier and more fulfilling than spending money on “stuff”.
4. I hope to find some home-made things to show thanks as gifts.  (This week!”)  Lists shall begin.
5. Which leads me to why I am not obliging recipe chains, lists of eight, and other tags this season.  If I get one more assignment, I might get cranky.  I do love reading them, and perhaps in the dead of winter, I will go back and do them then on a snowy day when my mind has enough RAM for more list-making.  I know you understand.  I hope to publish some blog tool “helpful things to know” guides very soon.  I like to think of unusual gifts.  This year, to give a gift to the church for Christmas.  I’ll design three wordpress blog headers (only WordPress for now) this month in order to make $35 in contributions per header to go toward the church building fund.  I’ll do it only in the FIRST TWO WEEKS this month.  Limited time offer.  Let me know if you want one,  I will cut off the list at three this month.  Do something that will last a while unless you want to make another donation.  I will not update them for free when the seasons change.   
6. There may be some days where I turn off comments and just reflect in a spirit of holiday meditation.  I hope you understand.
7. The movies, Amazing Grace and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (click for “PluggedIn” summary and reviews) were both worthwhile movies to watch this week.  Both hit the season I am.  The first hit my current reflections on Jeremiah…how often God showed concerned for the hurting, needy, poor, and alone.  And…how he wanted that to be our heartbeat as well.  I’ve grown too cynical.  I was challened by those who give their lives to the causes and purposes God has places on their lives, even through their own physical struggles and pains.  The second movie, as well as the first, also dealt with the issues of “passing the torch”, giving our predecessor thought, setting the foundation for work to continue to fulfill divine purposes.   Both lifted my spirits and challenged me at the same time.  I have to note admirably that neither had any negative content–that makes a movie memorable for me.  The minute I have to start “blocking reflexes” watching a movie, I hate it.  I have enough to block in real life, I watch a movie to get a break from that. 

Those are my Saturday ponderings!  Have a great Holiday Weekend! 

“My soul finds rest in God alone, my HOPE is from Him” (Psalms)

 

The Sort of Writing Which Happens When No One Can Come Over to Chat–Not That I’m Bitter

Today is  Tuesday, Fall Break.  I did get the kitchen floor spot mopped yesterday…which means that God was good.  I don’t mop on just any kind of day.  But, everyone is probably doing what I’m doing…picking up the pieces from a very busy Fall, getting wardrobes in order for a quick weekend getaway, etc.  So, I don’t blame you for not coming to play, but you really should, it would have been fun.  But, don’t get me wrong, I’m having fun without you. 

What you would have missed conversationally, perhaps, had there, you know, been any conversation…not that I’m bitter.   And I’m not saying that I am.  I understand.

I had a nightmare about my master bedroom closet last night.  I’m not sure I’ve ever had a closet in my life in as bad a shape as my closet is right now…that’s the truth.  I don’t really care, for the most part.  I seem to wear about the same few things.  If I were really bold, I’d just get rid of the rest of it.  But, there is always the need for that “thing” and I’d hate to have to replace it.  Plus, bad clothes remind me not to buy the same item I’ll never really wear again.  So, it does serve some purpose.  I try it on, realize I hate the cut or comfort, and hang it back up.  If I got rid of it, I’d see it cute on someone else and likely buy it again.  But, it’s a little out of hand.  Either I need to find somewhere else to store these precious things or build a new closet. 

So…what to do.  It’s a VERY complicated problem.  Maybe it was a prophetic dream and I should just address it and stop trying to figure it out.

Today, so far, ‘ve been engaging in one of my favorite “fall-spring” break past-times (as the morning wake-up call from Daisy Dog was not inspiring, but a drudgery this morning, as opposed to yesterday): downloading brush files for digital work.  What can I say, I’m a techie-geek of the worst variety.  I get great amounts of joy out of downloading and installing and unzipping and filing and sorting.  Actually, I don’t really like those parts, but I like the results.  So, I did that this morning. 

“There is no passion like that of a functionary for his function.”  –Georges Clemenceau

On that note, last night, I bought a few acrylic stamps at www.twopeasinabucket.com.  I love these stamps…no more wooden blocks, bulky to store and heavy to transport.  No way!  Intricate designs on clear rubber you stamp with a clear acylic block so that you can see where you are stamping!!!  The ingenuity of it all!  Yes, it truly inspires me to greatness, because I used to HATE stamps.  And now…I love them!  What about that? My daughter and I watched “Felicity”, and “The Angel Doll” while we stamped.  You just can’t put a price on that kind of bonding, bloggites. 

At 2 peas, the stamps were 30% off or so…I can’t wait to try them on my scrapbooking this winter.  It’s self indulgent, but now that I have that out of the way, I can enjoy our two-day get-away undistracted.  That’s a gift to my family, people.  I won’t be wanting to “just slip in Hobby Lobby for two seconds”?  Which means two hours, just so you know.  My one vice is arts.  If I’m going to waste money, that is where it leaks.  But, I give it back to my kids and friends in loving gifts, and use them for Sunday School crafts so I justify it very well, if I must say so myself.  And I must, for my husband doesn’t share my lens on these things most of the time.  He loves the work, though.

I’ve had “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on my desk.  I read a few pages yesterday.  Whew.  That’s all it took.  Anybody ever read it?  (I know Carol has, that’s why I’M fool enough).  I’d put some quotes up, but they are a little deep for Fall Break.  It is challenging me personally, though.  As in, invisible service is the only real “way.  And what about truly forgiving those who hurt you in return?  You just ought-ta get a load of it.  I recommend one paragraph per sitting.  And…it’s 352 pages long, my edition.  That’s what I get for going through old books and “getting rid” of duplicates at the church library.

More reading:  I read Ruth yesterday.  You know, what is amazing to me is that, by today’s standards?  We’d call Ruth VERY co-dependant underneath all that “loving care”.   And THEN, Boaz risks the inheritance for his own sons as well by taking on another wife–a foolish business-man, and probably co-dependant himself, though, yes, upholding Israelite law.  But, you know what?  They both get the inheritance that is long beyond their understanding…they are in the lineage of Christ Jesus!!!  Ruth was David’s great grandmother!  Imagine that.  They both give up “self” and get joy unspeakable.  Wow.

The leader Samuel in the next book is confusing me a bit.  Maybe I’m mal-informed.  He evntually serves as priest for the people with Eli’s own sons blow it, though he’s not a Levite, right?  His mom set him apart, but still?  His heart is turned toward God, and God calls Samuel.  Anonther odd twist is:  later, Samuel’s own sons do not follow the ways of the Lord either!  God had come to Samuel as a young boy and told him that the one thing he held against Eli was that he did not “reign his own sons in”.  Samuel’s sons weren’t any more godly in record than Eli’s.   A confusing reality for parents to mull.   Okay, so these thoughts should go on Level Path.

But, here I am, robe-rambling (that’s my new term for Mommy rambling. 

“Robe-rambling” note:  I just thought of that term.  I’m kind of proud of it.  As a general rule, I’m just not that funny…but that’s pretty funny!  So, my goal is for you all to start using this term and make me feel very special.  You know, how we all starting saying “ya’ll” after www.boomama.com used it so unabashedly.  In fact, when she started calling her blog readers “Internets“…others do, too!  Now, that is influence, people!  Now, my terms is “Bloggites”,which seems more personal and descriptive than “internets”…but BooMama is just funnier than I am, so it will probably stay at “internets” despite my best efforts to convince the crowds, even though my idea may be better!   It’s not fair, really.   It’s all a popularity thing.  (I don’t have popularity issues, per se..to my knowledge {wink}, just making a trend observation.)

Okay, bloggites, enough robe-rambling.  I’d better get something done on this house before I get fired from the mundane. 

Goodbye, beloved Bloggites! 

~Maggie