Random Dozen

1. Ever had any run-ins with the "library police?" Oh I am SURE it happened in college although I don't really remember a specific time.

2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts? Yes and yes. I have a great organizer for it where I have everything I need to wrap gifts, but most of the time I'm too busy to go to my great organizer and I find myself picking up exactly what I need and wrapping "on the go".

3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster? Hurricane Charley devestated our church building in 2005. I have to say that I really wish I had taken pictures. It was the largest natural disaster I've ever seen and it was also the largest outpouring of kindness and love I've ever seen. Amazing!

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song? It's not one of his more popular, but I LOVE "I Made it Through the Rain". In fact,I think I just might upload it to my iPod now that it's back on my mind today!






5. What's the best costume you've ever worn? This is an odd question, but this one is my favorite:

This is my friend Debra and I on our morning TV news show. The character's name is "Reada, Reada, Pumpkin Reader" and she helped the boys and girls get to know good reading strategies. It's not a GREAT costume...just one I enjoyed.

6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? Definitely the thesaurus. It's faster.

7. What's your favorite breakfast food? Pancakes.

8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial? Yep, knives and the magic bullet. My DS 2 used to have all the infomercials memorized. It was quite an obsession for him for a while. :-)

9. Have you ever crawled through a window? Wow, I don't know. I am sure I have I just don't remember when or why. I remember my Mom crawling through the window of our current house when it was being built. She went through and opened it up for us and ripped her pants on the way in! It was a good laugh and a happy memory!

10. Do you believe in love at first sight? Since I said to myself the day I met my DH, "I'm going to marry him." Yes.

11. How many pairs of jeans do you own? About four. I wear about two though!

12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on "Ace of Cakes.") Since I have no schema for "Ace of Cakes" and am not sure what this question is asking...I have to say it'd be my Grandma's Chocolate Cake...which is moist and rich. It requires no icing. Am I supposed to somehow connect that to a representation of me? It's been too long since I've played random dozen or let my mind go to the creative side, so I'm going to have put this answer on hold.

Some days are diamonds...

I know I'm dating myself when I reference a John Denver song here...but the song that has rolled around my head today is "Some days are diamonds, some days are stone." It's not so much for the extended lyrics which are the musings of a jilted lover when he consider how life has been "without her"...but his answer is appropriate for many situations beyond lost love:

"Some days are diamonds some days are stones--Sometimes the hard times won't leave me alone--Sometimes a cold wind blows a chill in my bones--Some days are diamonds some days are stones."

This is the thing though...we can fixate on the stone OR we can look for the gems that are often found inside!

Whether it's a diamond day, or a stone day, may we all find the gems that surround us.

Clean up at the salon...

I visited the salon today. This guy has cut my hair four times now. I like him. He's an artist. He has vision and likes to play with the hair and "create it". Today, while in the chair, he told me this story:

A new lady came in to the salon today to have him do her hair. She met him and then asked point blank, "Are you a Christian?" He said he answered "yes I am." She replied, "Good because I only give my business to Christians." Then he told me, "I would have said yes no matter what because I wanted her business." But he said, "I am a Christian of course."

Our conversation continued about how bold this woman's question was. Personally, and please don't misunderstand me here, I think it was inappropriate. While she got the answer she was looking for...it is evident from a little time in his chair (and his response to me regarding her question) that he is not likely an evangelical. I am not sure the last time he set foot in a church. Yet I suspect that these are the characteristics she was looking for.

I have to say I think this woman has it all wrong. When I consider exactly what Jesus would do and who would cut HIS hair were he looking in our city today....I suspect church attendance would not be his criteria. Nope. He'd probably be looking for the most "broken" sin-filled hair dresser in the city. (NOT that mine is...but you get my point, right?) I don't think his first question would be "Don't you want to know ME?" I am SURE it would be "Let me get to know YOU. Where you are. With nothing but grace and love."

Let me also say that I think she probably did little to further the kingdom today either. Her question became salon fodder. If it made an impact, it is a negative "who-does-she-think-she-is" one. And that breaks my heart!

One thing is for sure: there was a lot more to sweep up besides hair in that salon today.

It's Therapeutic...

For me, when blogging slows down, it means everything else is ramped up. My job. My home-life. My thought-life. Church. Family. My daily schedule. Everything.

I also find, though, at these times are precisely when I SHOULD blog! It's not so that the rest of the blogging community can have a glimpse into the mind of Susan. Instead it's so Susan can have a glimpse! In so many ways it's therapeutic.

Even on those days when my posts say little or nothing and don't go very deep, therapy happens. Here's why:

Blogging is a sort of reference point. Our pastor just finished a series titled "Reference Points" at church. Essentially, the point was that we all need reference points in our lives to help us navigate. Like the lighthouse that gives the ship's captain a reference to avoid rocks or the map that helps us know when we will arrive at our destination, a reference point allows us to see beyond the current circumstances and events.

When I read old posts, it reminds me of those times when I thought things were hopeless and I found hope. Or the times when I needed to count the blessings that flowed. The times when I missed opportunities to reach out. And the times when reaching out was so important. It reminds me that I am not alone. And that I can make it when I think I can't. It reminds me to be a knot-tier when I'm at the end of the rope. And to encourage others when they are at the end of theirs.

So, today as I blog I say, "Let the therapy begin!"

I know, I know...

My blog posts have become SO infrequent that it is a miracle if anyone is actually still reading! Life is just happening...FAST...right now. I can't say I haven't had TIME to blog, but by the time I think "Hmmm...I should blog." I am exhausted and don't have the stamina to get it done. Sooo...I promised pics from Spring Break Part II--which seems like an eternity ago. I've decided to go ahead and get them up here for this reason...

I was searching some blog archives not long ago where I promised to give an update or a part two or a follow-up post to something I wrote. I never did. And now I have no idea what the update was! So I decided to try and avoid that in the future cause it drove me crazy for a bit!

Spring Break Part II:

Wednesday of Spring Break, LG, DS 4, his friend B, and I headed out to the beach. I have to say that I "like" the beach, but I don't "love" the beach. And it was CHILLY for FL on this day, so it really wasn't high priority for me. Still I thought "I'll take my book out there and read and relax." After all I needed it!

LG and I set up on the beach. Where I figured out rather quickly that I FORGOT MY BOOK!

Sooo....I sat. And sat. And sat. And occasionally helped LG try and find shark's teeth in the water. And then I'd relax some more. For nine hours! It was wonderful doing absolutely nothing! While LG and I enjoyed playing and relaxing on the beach, DS 4 and his friend fished on the pier.
On Thursday, LG and I went to a local park and walked around. This park is gorgeous and filled with amazing foliage. But the highlight for her was "finally" getting to walk through a revolving door! She said, "I've seen one of those on the movie Elf, but I've never been in one!" Sooo...I told her to go through a few more times and I'd take her picture!


Then, it was on to another first for her...pedicures! The salon we chose even had "little girl" chairs. So fun!

The end of the week brought Easter preparations. We had a great block party at church on Saturday before Easter. Then, we celebrated Easter with the family and had a blast! I will try and post more pictures of those two events later on. For now, I'm confident that I've at least provided part two of the Spring Break week. :-) Hope all's well in the blogging world. I'll post again when I can.

Spring Break Reflections

We have officially finished Spring Break. For me it was like the players sliding around the bases during a great run at a baseball game. It had it's moments of pure joy and moments of weariness. But all in all it was a GREAT time!

Instead of picking one destination and going there to spend a few days, we decided to take several day trips. Or maybe I decided to take several day trips and they just humored me.

This adventure started with me taking LG to the fair on the first Saturday--She had a BALL! She rode everything...and I DO mean EVERYTHING! The faster the ride went, the better!
On Monday, DS 3 and LG and I headed out to our local science museum for a little hands-on fun! We followed that up with a trip to the Ringling Museum of Art where they have the work of Norman Rockwell on display. It was a beautiful day and a fun time! My favorite picture from the science museum is this one:


From there we went to the art museum where LG and I took time to pose near the Banyan trees:

And DS 3 took time to make fun of appreciate the art.


Then it was on to bowling where DS 4 showed us how it's done:



I don't think LG "got it"...


On Tuesday, we went to the Florida Air Museum, a Children's Museum, and to feed the swans in Lakeland. DS 3 says this photo, taken at the air museum, looks like a band photo...what do you think?

I thought this was a good "teachable moment"--although I'm not sure DS 4 really "got it":



We went to the Children's Museum for some more fun followed by a visit to Lake Morton in Lakeland. This is only a stone's throw from where DH and I went to college. We used to go out to this lake to feed the ducks/swans back then. It was fun to see the kids enjoy it as much as we used to!

We rounded out this day trip with a visit to a "Roaring 20's Pizza Parlor" near us. This was a throw back to a place we used to visit when I was a kid called "J Burns Pizza". When we walked in, they noticed it was filled with a lot of senior citizens. But, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane and the kids had a great time listening to the giant pipe organ and eating pizza.

This is how we finished Tuesday. I'll give an update on the second half of our break tomorrow.