http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
FOR TODAY (December 29, 2008)...
Outside my window... Let's see... I'm at my mom's house in Ohio... will have to look. It's sunny and windy. There's a patio chair that was overturned by the wind, leaves everywhere and the old faithful blue truck sitting in the driveway.
I am thinking... about how many people in my life got horribly sick with the stomach flu this past week. Really makes Christmas an adventure.
I am thankful for... the fact that, even though sickness sort of overtook us this season, it's nothing compared to cancer..... or starvation.... the loss of a loved one.
From the kitchen... my mother made me a lovely turkey sandwich for breakfast, like only she can do. :o)
I am wearing... jeans, black striped shirt over a black t-shirt and vacation hair.
I am going... to play the Wii with my mom, my brother and his fam.
I am reading... nothing. I'm on vacation.
I am hoping... to get home without any more major catastrophes.
I am hearing... my nephew talking to my mom about Alice in Wonderland.
Around the house... I'm not at my house, but around this house, signs on Christmas are starting to disappear.
One of my favorite things... spending time with my mom, and my brother and family.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Hang out for a couple more days, then try to make it home.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
I don't have a picture thought today, because I'm not near my own computer. However, if you can picture 9 cases of stomach flu in 5 days, bad weather, canceled trains, dead car AND truck batteries, keys locked in running cars...... you'll know some of what an adventure the last week has been. And I'm still smiling. I'm pretty sure it's only because I've lost my mind. :o)
Happy New Year!
December 29, 2008
December 22, 2008
SWD #11
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/FOR TODAY (December 22, 2008)...
Outside my window... It's -13 degrees with a windchill of -35. The snow is beautiful and crunchy, and my hair froze solid when I went outside.
I am thinking... about how I really don't want to be working this week.
I am thankful for... the fact that my mother arrived safely for Christmas. I'm also thankful for the wonderful time we're having together.
From the kitchen... The only thing I've had from my kitchen in the last five days is a glass of milk.
I am wearing... navy turtleneck, black sweater, navy pants, black shoes.....
I am creating... bulletins bulletins bulletins bulletins bulletins. Oh yeah, and bulletins.
I am going... to remember to warm the truck up so I don't have to sit in it and shiver.
I am reading... a lot of emails. I'm behind. Shock. Gasp. Faint.
I am hoping... to make these next few days the best ever.
I am hearing... my bed calling me. Come hooooooome..... cooooooome hooooooooome.....
Around the house... since I haven't been around much, my cat is now requiring me to show my ID at the door so he can make sure it's me entering.
One of my favorite things... Kids. Kids are so amazing... they can do ANYTHING. While most of the time, we think we should be the ones teaching, often we should be watching them and learning!
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Bulletins.
Bulletins.
More bulletins.
Some bulletins.
Larger bulletins.
Shopping.
Games.
Christmas fun.
Travel to Ohio.
Here is picture thought I am sharing... we had white out conditions the other day, and I, again being the rule-following driver that I am, snapped a shot of the road I was traveling on to remember what it looked like. THEN... while my mom and I were shopping, Mother Nature painted a GREAT picture on my windshield. Add some eyes, a nose and mouth and VOILA!
December 15, 2008
SWD #10
FOR TODAY (December 15, 2008)...
Outside my window... It's -6 degrees with a windchill of -32. The sun dogs are HUGE and gorgeous.
I am thinking... about what a busy weekend it was with four shows and a Christmas program. Wow.
I am thankful for... the talents God has given me, and the ability to use them.
From the kitchen... let me put it this way.... I haven't been home in the evenings since last Monday. I'll just leave it at that.
I am wearing... black turtleneck sweater, tan pants, black shoes..... and BRIGHT red and silver jingle bell earrings.
I am creating... thoughts and lists to finishing my Christmas shopping.
I am going... to attempt to clean my house before my mother gets here on Friday.
I am reading... welllllll..... I actually moved a book from the shelf to the night stand. I read the title now and then when I have a minute.
I am hoping... to not run out of money before I finish shopping.
I am hearing... the heater running.
Around the house... I thought something was wrong with the PS2 memory card because it wouldn't save my Katamari game. Turns out I was just dumb (surprise, gasp, faint). My brother helped me learn the PROPER way to save a game and all is well. Now I don't have to keep starting over.
One of my favorite things... hearing lots and lots of people singing together. Last night I heard them singing Christmas carols. It was fab.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Christmas shopping.
Outside my window... It's -6 degrees with a windchill of -32. The sun dogs are HUGE and gorgeous.
I am thinking... about what a busy weekend it was with four shows and a Christmas program. Wow.
I am thankful for... the talents God has given me, and the ability to use them.
From the kitchen... let me put it this way.... I haven't been home in the evenings since last Monday. I'll just leave it at that.
I am wearing... black turtleneck sweater, tan pants, black shoes..... and BRIGHT red and silver jingle bell earrings.
I am creating... thoughts and lists to finishing my Christmas shopping.
I am going... to attempt to clean my house before my mother gets here on Friday.
I am reading... welllllll..... I actually moved a book from the shelf to the night stand. I read the title now and then when I have a minute.
I am hoping... to not run out of money before I finish shopping.
I am hearing... the heater running.
Around the house... I thought something was wrong with the PS2 memory card because it wouldn't save my Katamari game. Turns out I was just dumb (surprise, gasp, faint). My brother helped me learn the PROPER way to save a game and all is well. Now I don't have to keep starting over.
One of my favorite things... hearing lots and lots of people singing together. Last night I heard them singing Christmas carols. It was fab.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Christmas shopping.
Brush-up rehearsal.
Mom arrives.
Three more performances.
Crash and burn.
Here is picture thought I am sharing... what is it with cats and Sorry!? The grey cat is Allige. The orange cat is my friend's cat, Reilly. They both INSIST on being in the middle of everything. Weirdos.
Here is picture thought I am sharing... what is it with cats and Sorry!? The grey cat is Allige. The orange cat is my friend's cat, Reilly. They both INSIST on being in the middle of everything. Weirdos.
December 8, 2008
SWD #9
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
FOR TODAY (December 8, 2008)...
Outside my window... It's 19 degrees and the clouds are preparing to dump a few inches of snow on us..... so they say. Well, the weather people say, that is, not the clouds. Clouds can't talk, you know. Or maybe they can talk and we just don't know their language. I don't speak cloud.
I am thinking... about what clouds might talk about. "Hey Whitey, did you see that dragon shape Bob made yesterday? He really has a gift for shapes. My specialty is hail."..............................
I am thankful for... everything.
From the kitchen... the dishes actually did start crawling out of the dishwasher. I had to call in the kitchen gnomes to assist.
I am wearing... navy blue pants, navy blue turtleneck, black sweater, black shoes. And yes, I CAN wear blue and black together if I want to!
I am creating... um.....chaos?
I am going... to be very frugal with time and money this week.
I am reading... schedules of the coming weeks' rehearsals and shows.
I am hoping... to keep track of everything, and not lose the joy of the season.
I am hearing... two people talking in the background. Bing Crosby singing Christmas songs. Sing it, Bing!
Around the house... let's see..... my cat still remembers me, even though I don't spend much time there right now.
One of my favorite things... Christmas trees. I LOVE Christmas trees.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Rehearsal.
Rehearsal.
Rehearsal.
Rehearsal.
Church.
Concert.
Meeting.
Party.
Performance.
Performance.
Performance.
Performance.
Performance.
Oh yeah.... and maybe a light snack.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...It's not a picture, but it's a Garfield comic strip that made me laugh. (Copyright Jim Davis)
December 5, 2008
Until You've Had An Addiction...
I wonder how many times in my life I've said the words, "They got what they deserved" to people in conversations. I used to think it was a perfectly rational line of thought, as in, if you're going to dig your hole, don't be surprised when it caves in on top of you.
It's taken me a long time to realize what a nasty attitude that is about people and life in general. When I make a mistake, or royally mess something up, the last thing in the world I need is to be given the proverbial "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it" speech. Yet, how many times do we give that speech, either face to face, or worse, behind the scenes, without a clue of how hurtful it comes across to the defeated comrad?
I've prayed for God to give me more compassion over the years, and since watching people or animals suffer nearly sends me to the ground in agony, I'm calling Him Faithful on that one. In my search for a genuinely caring heart, I've discovered that addiction is one of the areas in which I've found a new interest.
For people who have never had an addiction, it's hard to understand why you can't "just quit" on the spot. Just make the decision to do it, right? Well, okay, but really, whether it's drugs, alcohol, television, computers, video games, sports, or any other thing we may latch on to, when it becomes and addiction, it takes over your life and leaves you with little self-discipline or control. That's WHY it's called addiction.
I highly doubt that anyone wakes up one morning and says, "Hmm... I think I'll see what I can get addicted to today." It just happens. We make decisions, yes, and we're accountable, yes, but we're also human. I know that, for me personally, if I could ever go a day without messing SOMETHING up, or making a wrong decision, I would probably wonder if I was having an out-of-body experience. This begs the question....
Why do we feel we have the RIGHT to judge or draw the line on what is an acceptable mistake and what's past the point of no return? Which mess-up deserves grace and mercy, and which deserves condemnation and finger-pointing shame?
I'm not negating the importance of consequences here, because unfortunately, consequences are sometimes the best teachers, but don't you think a "compassionate" God would want us to extend the hand of mercy, even in the worst of circumstances? If God is truly who He says He is, then He loves us NO MATTER WHAT, and when we get into trouble, or make a bad decision, He doesn't point the almighty finger at us and furrow His brow with rejection and anger. Rather, His unconditional love for us has Him extending both arms, pulling us close to his heart and walking us through our circumstances gently.
I suppose it should be no different for us in the way we treat people, especially those with addictions. We should be gentle, patient.....merciful..... even in the face of an addict who has "made their bed" and is now lying in it. Addiction destroys reason, obliterates rationality, sometimes even steals your sanity.
Compassion revives - WE could be the misty horizon of hope for someone struggling with addiction in a particular area, but we can't do it by sticking our self-righteous fingers in their face. Too harsh? Maybe, but isn't there a simple truth to all of this? If WE want to be given the second, third, tenth, hundredth chances when we mess things up, then I think we should probably start giving the same grace to others.
Or, perhaps once again, I am just another babbling blogger........
It's taken me a long time to realize what a nasty attitude that is about people and life in general. When I make a mistake, or royally mess something up, the last thing in the world I need is to be given the proverbial "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it" speech. Yet, how many times do we give that speech, either face to face, or worse, behind the scenes, without a clue of how hurtful it comes across to the defeated comrad?
I've prayed for God to give me more compassion over the years, and since watching people or animals suffer nearly sends me to the ground in agony, I'm calling Him Faithful on that one. In my search for a genuinely caring heart, I've discovered that addiction is one of the areas in which I've found a new interest.
For people who have never had an addiction, it's hard to understand why you can't "just quit" on the spot. Just make the decision to do it, right? Well, okay, but really, whether it's drugs, alcohol, television, computers, video games, sports, or any other thing we may latch on to, when it becomes and addiction, it takes over your life and leaves you with little self-discipline or control. That's WHY it's called addiction.
I highly doubt that anyone wakes up one morning and says, "Hmm... I think I'll see what I can get addicted to today." It just happens. We make decisions, yes, and we're accountable, yes, but we're also human. I know that, for me personally, if I could ever go a day without messing SOMETHING up, or making a wrong decision, I would probably wonder if I was having an out-of-body experience. This begs the question....
Why do we feel we have the RIGHT to judge or draw the line on what is an acceptable mistake and what's past the point of no return? Which mess-up deserves grace and mercy, and which deserves condemnation and finger-pointing shame?
I'm not negating the importance of consequences here, because unfortunately, consequences are sometimes the best teachers, but don't you think a "compassionate" God would want us to extend the hand of mercy, even in the worst of circumstances? If God is truly who He says He is, then He loves us NO MATTER WHAT, and when we get into trouble, or make a bad decision, He doesn't point the almighty finger at us and furrow His brow with rejection and anger. Rather, His unconditional love for us has Him extending both arms, pulling us close to his heart and walking us through our circumstances gently.
I suppose it should be no different for us in the way we treat people, especially those with addictions. We should be gentle, patient.....merciful..... even in the face of an addict who has "made their bed" and is now lying in it. Addiction destroys reason, obliterates rationality, sometimes even steals your sanity.
Compassion revives - WE could be the misty horizon of hope for someone struggling with addiction in a particular area, but we can't do it by sticking our self-righteous fingers in their face. Too harsh? Maybe, but isn't there a simple truth to all of this? If WE want to be given the second, third, tenth, hundredth chances when we mess things up, then I think we should probably start giving the same grace to others.
Or, perhaps once again, I am just another babbling blogger........
Useless Trivia....
If anyone can answer all of these questions about me correctly, I'll take them out for a lovely frothy beverage! I'll give you a hint..... you can cheat on some of these by looking at a previous post.
1. What's my favourite colour?
2. What are the two foods I absolutely cannot handle eating?
3. Name three words I don't like.
4. Name three words I DO like.
5. What's the first thing I do when I buy a new pair of shoes?
6. What's my cat's name?
7. Who was my best friend in high school?
8. Where does my mom live?
9. How many piercings and tattoos do I have?
10. Where did I go to college?
11. How many instruments do I play?
12. Name one of my favourite sayings.
13. How many siblings do I have?
14. What colour are my eyes?
15. Name three of my favourite smells.
16. What is my official title at work?
17. What kind of band do I play with?
18. To where have I always wanted to travel?
19. What are two of my biggest pet peeves?
20. What really hurts me?
21. How long have I lived in MN?
22. Name three jobs I've had in my life.
23. Do I like sweet or salty better?
24. Am I religious?
25. What kind of dancing do I just LOVE?
26. What makes me reeeeeeeeally happy?
27. How is my living room decorated?
28. Do I like sports?
29. If I were going to own a dog, what kind would I get?
30. One of my life's philosphies is......
1. What's my favourite colour?
2. What are the two foods I absolutely cannot handle eating?
3. Name three words I don't like.
4. Name three words I DO like.
5. What's the first thing I do when I buy a new pair of shoes?
6. What's my cat's name?
7. Who was my best friend in high school?
8. Where does my mom live?
9. How many piercings and tattoos do I have?
10. Where did I go to college?
11. How many instruments do I play?
12. Name one of my favourite sayings.
13. How many siblings do I have?
14. What colour are my eyes?
15. Name three of my favourite smells.
16. What is my official title at work?
17. What kind of band do I play with?
18. To where have I always wanted to travel?
19. What are two of my biggest pet peeves?
20. What really hurts me?
21. How long have I lived in MN?
22. Name three jobs I've had in my life.
23. Do I like sweet or salty better?
24. Am I religious?
25. What kind of dancing do I just LOVE?
26. What makes me reeeeeeeeally happy?
27. How is my living room decorated?
28. Do I like sports?
29. If I were going to own a dog, what kind would I get?
30. One of my life's philosphies is......
December 1, 2008
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
FOR TODAY (December 1, 2008)...
Outside my window... A fresh blanket of snow is on the ground that's rapidly turning brown from the salting/sanding trucks.
I am thinking... about a question my friend asked me regarding whether or not I see myself as a "simple woman". The answer is, of course, not even close. Perhaps I should start The Unusual Weirdo's Daybook??
I am STILL thankful for... my health and everything I have.
From the kitchen... the dishes are going to start crawling out of the dishwasher themselves if I don't put them away soon.
I am wearing... black pants, forrest green turtleneck, Harley-Davidson shoes.
I am creating... a gift for someone. :o)
I am going... to the theatre after work to check in on things.
I am reading... nope.... no time to read right now.
I am hoping... to slow my mind's time down for the next month and just enjoy things.
I am hearing... nothing. It's silent. Wow.
Around the house... I have Christmas presents laying around waiting to be wrapped!
One of my favorite things... the holiday season. I wish it would linger on....
A few plans for the rest of the week: I haven't gotten that far yet.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
I took some really bad quality pictures of my friend's Christmas tree lights last night. They're pretty. So... yeah. Here they are.
FOR TODAY (December 1, 2008)...
Outside my window... A fresh blanket of snow is on the ground that's rapidly turning brown from the salting/sanding trucks.
I am thinking... about a question my friend asked me regarding whether or not I see myself as a "simple woman". The answer is, of course, not even close. Perhaps I should start The Unusual Weirdo's Daybook??
I am STILL thankful for... my health and everything I have.
From the kitchen... the dishes are going to start crawling out of the dishwasher themselves if I don't put them away soon.
I am wearing... black pants, forrest green turtleneck, Harley-Davidson shoes.
I am creating... a gift for someone. :o)
I am going... to the theatre after work to check in on things.
I am reading... nope.... no time to read right now.
I am hoping... to slow my mind's time down for the next month and just enjoy things.
I am hearing... nothing. It's silent. Wow.
Around the house... I have Christmas presents laying around waiting to be wrapped!
One of my favorite things... the holiday season. I wish it would linger on....
A few plans for the rest of the week: I haven't gotten that far yet.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
I took some really bad quality pictures of my friend's Christmas tree lights last night. They're pretty. So... yeah. Here they are.
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