Share your love of reading.....

OK- so I'm gonna answer Julie's meme. The point is to list 7 of the books I'm reading now (because you can tell about someone by the books they're reading).
So, here goes:

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

The Rock That Is Higher: Story as Truth by Madeleine L'Engle

Rainbows End by Lauren St. John

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill

When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd

How (not) To Speak of God by Peter Rollins

with what I am gonna read next as an added bonus.....

The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew-- Three Women Search for Understanding by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner


Anybody that wants to play, feel free! Let me know if you do - it's always fun to see what others are reading! :)

How to see Three Texas Airports in Seven Hours.....

OK - Kelsey is flying around SOMEWHERE. She is on the way home from her road trip with Jen. I think right now she is on her way to Austin. Her 4:50 pm flight from Lubbock to Dallas was delayed because the Dallas airport was CLOSED due to weather. They actually boarded the plane and taxied to the runway before returning to the gate and having to get off the plane. And then they sat in the airport for hours. She finally got into Dallas at 9:30 pm - but that was 5 minutes after her connecting flight to Chicago took off.

So off she went to figure out plan B. However, because of the backlog there were no available flights out of Dallas until Friday. So the airline put her on a plane to Austin. (Nothing like seeing ALL of the TX airports, eh? - Wait, I should knock on wood, or she'll end up in Houston next....)

That was all I knew last night. Fortunately she called me and continued the story.....
When she got to Austin she was supposed to take a shuttle to a hotel, at least that was the plan. But she got in there around midnight with nothing but the clothes on her back (thank goodness for hotel toiletries..) and the shuttles don't run after 11:00. So she had to get a cab to her hotel. This morning she had to manage to get back to the airport in time for her flight home. That meant leaving the hotel by 5:30 am. Surprise! Too early for the shuttle. So once again she had to take a cab. This time the hotel picked up the tab. Kelsey said the people in Austin are really nice and really helpful. I've never been to Austin, I'd like to visit sometime. Anyway, she made it to the airport and after messing around and having to go through the security lines twice, she finally got to the gate and on the plane to Chicago.
In the middle of this mess, Kim flew out of Chicago to NY, leaving me to go to Midway and pick up Kelsey. And I DON'T DO AIRPORTS!! Drive there I mean. I avoid it at all costs. I hate the crowds and the signs are confusing. But it actually was quite simple and I survived. LOL.
Kelsey got in around 9:30, but we had to wait until the first flight in from Dallas to get her luggage. It was the first bag off the carousel. About time something went her way!!
Good grief. Someday we'll all laugh.
I think.

Where'd my red dots go??

Well, how do you like that? Cluster Maps just archived all the old maps and started over. Apparently for me on June 17. That's just sad. My poor map looks very bare and lonely. I kinda got used to seeing my dots growing.....
Evidently they archive the old maps at their site..
Wait, I'll go get it so I can look at it again....




In contrast - see how lonely the new one looks?



OK guys - get busy. Make me feel better. Visit me and watch the dots grow! :)

Oh - and if it hasn't happened to you yet, just wait. It will.

The end of the story.....

Well - at last the end of the road trip. I'm sure there will be good stories to tell later. :)
They arrived in Lubbock around 3:30 am Sunday. Fitting - since they left here at 3 am Thursday. Kelsey called Sunday evening. They were running around doing things - well, after giving Clayton a bath. Poor thing - three and a half really long days of dust, mud, mountains, wind, hot sun - and they never let him bathe????
Anyway here's the proof - a tired, sunburned, but still smiling Kelsey at the Texas state line. :D

Further Adventures

Well, I tried to talk to Kelsey and Jen when they called tonight, but, honestly, I only got about every 7th sylable. I told 'em to call later when they were no longer driving through mountains in CO. LOL.
Anyhow - they are still alive and well and headed for New Mexico tomorrow. Here's an updated map from todays journey, culminating around Estes Park, Co. Or at least that's the plan right now!
Somehow I just know there's gonna be a good story when the trip is done. I'll let you know!

A tooth, a trip, a tired mom.....

Well, Carissa had her tooth implant (two implants) surgery today. Now begins the recovery process. She can't bite with the temporary caps, and she can't chew with them for awhile. Then she can't bite anything hard for 3 months. That's worse than the restrictions she had with her braces. After that she will get her permanent teeth. Long haul. But it'll be worth it. She pretty much slept the day away, and a couple friends came over to watch movies with her tonight. I just sent her off to bed with her icepack and more pain meds.
Kelsey and Jen left at 3:00 am for Texas (by way of Minnesota and South Dakota....)

I talked to them around 5 or so when they rolled into Sioux Falls. The only reason Kelsey called was to taunt me with the fact that they were eating at Sonic....
Last night while we were packing up Jen's jeep we watched the Space Shuttle streak across the sky, followed by the space station. That was pretty cool.
Yep - I'm starting to ramble. Combination of tiredness, stress, concern for my kids and just sheer exhaustion. Guess I'll just head for bed.
Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

Time to quit partying and start thinking.....

I've been far too busy to think, much less post. I did start thinking about a post last night as I was reading - but it's only half formed. You're just gonna have to wait..... ;)

I think the parties are finally over. For me that is. I am absolutely partied out. Out of time, energy and money. And the ability to sit in a circle and talk to the SAME people for yet another four hours.....LOL. Seriously, Brad and Jess, thanks for inviting us to your parties!!

In church yesterday we were talking about denial. What things we don't wanna admit - and why. The things we just don't want to see out of fear of what that might mean in our lives. Great topic for Father's Day, eh? Anyway, Mike asked what we are in denial about and why. Wow. That's sobering. Convicting too. I was thinking that I have been wrestling with love - for a while now. Some of you know this. True Christ like love. Loving others, the unlovable. Why it is so hard. Why I struggle. Loving people that I really don't like. The ones that truly push my buttons. The convicting part wasn't in the admission of the problem, the facing up to the denial, it was WHY it was so hard to face the facts. Basically, because John says in First John 4:

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Love is the manifestation of belief in God. Refusing to love - isn't that the same as rejecting God? Instead of "you might be a redneck if", it's "you might not be a Christian if...." And that's why I am in denial. This love thing is tough. Working on it. Admitting it is half the battle. Now I have to figure out how to live this way......

...you shall know the truth,
and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

More Pix from the party....

April and Angeleah

Rachelle and Carissa

the grads

The Rathes

Rachelle and Liam

Theo - the youngest guest

Katherine

April and Liam

Mike and Emma

Steve and Mike

Kelsey and Theo

It's over except for the clean-up

Things have been totally chaotic around here lately. Insanely busy. Finally it's all over - well except for the cleanup. The grad party was fun! Lots of incredibly yummy food - thanks to Dana, and lots of good friends to share it with. But I do remember why I don't do big parties very often.... :) I think I was on my feet for 36 hours straight - well with only about 6 hours somewhere in the middle to sleep. I feel like I have been run over by a steam roller - how many muscles can you possibly use to prepare food and clean a house? It's days like this I'm glad I only have two feet - not four like the puppy. Two hurting is bad enough. Oh - and the other thing about parties? It's like, how much money can one possibly spend in one week? LOL
And in between all the prep - including carpet cleaning - we had three doctor/dentist appointments. One of which was to set up Carissa's oral surgery in 10 days. But I digress.
Exhausted as I am, the party was a great celebration of Rachelle and Carissa's accomplishments, and a good time for us adult friends to get together and talk - which we never seem to find time to do otherwise. Now it's the morning after - Jenn and Chris are off to work, Kels, Carissa and Jess are sleeping, and I am trying to work up the energy to walk into the kitchen and start washing the mountain of dishes......
Anyway, that's where I've been all week.........

cutting the cake.....


The "Shrine" according to Carissa.....

Carissa and her dad, with Emma

Dana's yummy food - round one. Sandwiches still to come.....

Dana, Jen and Kelsey taste testing the daiquiris - virgin of course....

Jess and Carissa (and Cairo) the morning after.....

Cody

We lost our beloved Cody to large cell lymphoma this morning.
We will miss you Cody!

Here's the proof!

How does my garden grow?

I am so behind. I don't have a single thing done in my yard and today is June 1st!! The biggest bummer is that I don't have any tomatoes planted. That my friends is a tragedy. A true catastrophe. Well, not really in comparison to Darfur or sex trafficking.... But to me, here in my little world, the lack of fresh, ripe, warm, summertime tomatoes.... Any other vegis I can live without, tho cucumbers would be a close second. And flowers - pshaw - if I don't have 'em, I don't have to water em. Ok, ok - I like flowers, I just am a bit flower challenged - I kill 'em all.
I guess I should bite the bullet, go to the nursery and hunt through the dregs left by all the conscientious plant buyers, ignore the pointed looks of the clerks, and bring home some half grown, but sad looking specimens. Ah, me. If it wasn't for the tomatoes I'd say screw it all. I can live for a summer with a boring yard.....
After all dandelions are cheerful and yellow right?