A New Day Dawning

Hello sweet friends, family, faithful readers, and whoever else might happen to stop by! I have left you hanging around, wondering where I've been and what I've been up to.

What's that you say? Oh. Well. Yes, I understand. You have had better things to do over the past year than to wonder about my adventures, and then wait around for me to write about them. That's okay. After all, I know it's not all about me. You have your own adventures to live out! But since you are here, let me catch you up, okay? I'll try to keep it brief.

The last adventure I told you about was a year ago and we were in Hobbs, NM. I ran the holding tank over, remember? Well, we moved on...

We came home, then... Honestly the memory of most months since then kind of swirl around in my head like water going down the bathtub drain. I do remember that we had a very short deployment to New Orleans--I'm talking only ten days--and then we were in the Gulf Shores / Mobile, AL area for a few days while hubby took some more training. (Quick! Someone put in the stopper before the last memory goes glug glug into the septic tank!) I think we had one more trip after that, or in between that, but to save my neck (and the last of the bubble bath) I can't remember for sure. If we did, obviously it was very short and totally uneventful. If we didn't, well, maybe it was a dream I can't recall.

I just remember that we were home by the end of September, and home is where we remain. (I'll explain why in a minute.)

The holiday season was a little low key for us but still enjoyable. We had the joy of one granddaughter here for Christmas along with short visits from other extended family.

I started the new year off right by almost severing the end of my finger while making mashed potatoes with my smoothie blender. (Don't ask.) I guess that was pretty Bold, huh? And I did go Dashing off to the urgent care clinic to get it sewed up.

And don't worry. It looks much better now. I have major nerve damage, but the scar is minimal and it still works!

Shortly after the first of the year, our daughter, Patricia and her family moved from Hawaii back to the mainland and spent a few weeks here with us while in transition. What a blessing that was! Another daughter, Kaleena, and granddaughter came up from Houston for a couple of weeks as well, so our house was FULL of little girls and everything that goes with them--toys, hair bows, giggles, tears, teething tantrums, hugs and kisses, ear infections, and smiles... We all had SO much fun. Part of our fun was due to the blizzard that kept us cooped up for a couple of days but gave the little Honolulu Honies some grand drifts to climb!

After all the sweet little granddaughters left, taking most of my heart with them, I spent a few days trying to clean house and wiping tears from my own eyes. Then, I started trying to find a job. (Please don't make me talk about it. Doing so makes my head hurt and my stomach churn. I'm still unemployed, by the way.)

God gave us a new granddaughter,Charlotte, near the end of April. We've not had the chance to see her yet and every day my arms ache to squeeze her. I check her mom's Facebook page every day in hopes of seeing a new picture. Some days I find one and I sit and stare for a while.

Now summer is upon us, and life seems neither Dashing nor Bold and certainly not too adventurous. So, pretty much, you are up to date. Oh yeah, the explanation as to why we are at home--to stay.

The insurance industry has been changing over the years. The company hubby worked for has been changing. Our expenses have increased due to inflation and the crazy price of fuel. The rate of pay has gone the opposite direction. Deployments have gotten shorter and much MUCH less profitable. Taking a deployment call has become a game of roulette, never knowing if we would make money or if we would have to use the credit card to get home. The stress of simply trying to survive and stay in business has a way of sucking the life right out of a person.

So, when the contractor hubby works for "between storms" made a new offer--one that required long term commitment but came with a company truck, more responsibility and authority, a company phone, business cards, etc. we felt like we couldn't refuse.

I can't begin to tell you how sad we are when we let our minds think about life without the adventures of being on the road. Seeing new places, meeting new people, just the two of us...It was a lifestyle we had grown to love. I still want to cry when I recall the wonderful times we've had.

But, God's timing is perfect and we have peace about our decision. It's a new chapter, a new season. A new day is dawning.

That's why I've been away from here for so long--because I've been trying to figure out how to turn this blog about my travels and adventures into something else, and still make it something you would like to read. I'm open to suggestions. This morning I have been setting up a new blog at a different hosting site. It's not ready to publish yet, but stay tuned--something new is coming and I'll give you a link to it when it is ready. (I don't intend to make you wait another year.)

I'm having trouble coming up with content. I want my new blog to accomplish something. There are enough pointless and meaningless words out there on the web, I don't need to add to them. Some of the things I'd like for my new blog to do: glorify God, grow disciples, and entertain.What do you want to read? If you have been a follower here for a while, or even if you are new and like anything you've read, please let me know. What type of posts have you enjoyed the most? I'll be looking for your responses. Please, don't make me wait a year! ;-)

Roasted Mouse

I'm not a good blogger. Period. A good blogger blogs every day, maybe more than once per day. Also, good bloggers usually have a theme or a focused topic for their blogs. I WANT to be a good blogger, but I can't seem to make it happen. *sigh* I am not consistent in posting, and I obviously have a problem with "theme" except to share my Dashing and Bold life with you. I have come to the conclusion that the reason I'm so bad at regular posting (at least for the past year) is because Dashing and Bold has turned into Dull and Boring

 But, I'm here to testify, God is good! He sees me in my sad, bland condition and sends a Dash of adventure. He knows I like a little spice!

Even though hubby is currently between storms and the RV is parked at our "real house", he still sleeps and showers and sometimes watches TV in it because 1) that is much easier than moving all his stuff in and out every time he has to deploy, 2) the bed in the RV is larger and more comfy than our bed in the house, 3) the TV in the RV is HD and the one in the house is not.

I spend my  nights with him in the big comfy bed, but all my "stuff" is in the house. So, if the neighbors are up and looking out their windows late at night or early in the morning, they might get a glimpse of me hotfooting it back and forth in my housecoat. Oh, let them talk--they probably need a little spice too.

A few days ago, very early in the morning, I woke with a start. I punched hubby in the shoulder, "Something's burning!" (We live in a state of Fire Alert due to the drought.)

He popped up and yanked open the window shades to look for smoke. I stumbled out of bed and hurried to the door and poked my head out. No smoke. No fire. Outside the air was fresh. I closed the door, then it hit me.

The unmistakable aroma of roasting mouse! (I start to gag just thinking about it.)

Apparently, the fur coat God gave this particular little rodent didn't satisfy it, so it ventured onto our furnace to warm its little feet. Or, perhaps it was just wondering through, hunting for something to chew, and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when the heater came on. Either way, warm STINKY air blew through the vents, filling our small space.

Satisfied that our lives were not in danger, I went back to bed and tried to go back to sleep. Every time the heater came on, the horrible smell woke me up. I tried sleeping with my head under the covers, but for some reason, I got the feeling that oxygen doesn't exist between bed sheet. I'm sure there is some scientific proof, but I haven't had time to Google it. Finally I gave up and did my hotfoot thing back to the house.

My husband is a good man, and I don't mean to be critical. Honestly. But this next part of the story is important.


Naturally I informed asked him if, later in the day, he could remove the mouse from the heater so the putrid odor would go away. He spent a few minutes making excuses explaining how he would have to take out the VERY HEAVY washing machine, tear into the...remove the...break the...try to open the... And he ended by saying that he thought that the burner part of the heater was a sealed unit and there was no possible way a mouse could get in there.

Well. Okay then. Hmmm. What WAS that awful smell?

And he logically reasoned: Surely if it WAS a mouse, the little varmint was "done" by now and the worst of the stink was gone. (I tried not to let him see me roll my eyes.)

Fast forward to the next evening. I do my hotfoot thing across the yard to the RV to go to bed, temperature drops, heater comes on, and WHOP! The smell of mouse a la cart slaps me in the face. All. Night. Long. It was a very long night.

Thankfully the stink was so bad, it interrupted hubby's sleep as well. The next day he decided to do what was impossible to do the day before. Get rid of the mouse.

The process took only a short time and a small amount of effort. "It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I should have done it yesterday." --Hubby 


Unfortunately, all those hours of slow roasting the mouse embedded the stench  into the curtains, the furniture, the walls,  the glass windows...Okay, maybe not the windows. But I can promise you one thing: it is going to take a whole lot more effort and time to get rid of the stink now than it did to simply get rid of the mouse.

This furry little fellow is a lot like sin, don't you think? How often do we hold tightly to some sin or vice, knowing it is stinking up our lives, yet refuse to do anything about it? We can always come up with reasons why our stinky little problem is too hard or even impossible to remove. We may even deny that we have sin in our hearts or reason that if we just leave it alone, pretty soon it will just go away.

God's Word lets us know, without a doubt, that sin has consequences. Here is just one example. (2 Samuel 24:10-15)

I think I'm going to take a good long look at this photo of my roasted mouse and store it in my memory bank. Then the next time the Holy Spirit taps my heart and tells me something nasty is cooking in there, I'll decide to act quickly and get rid of it, before it permanently stinks up everything and everybody around  me. After all, it's not as hard to do as I might think, and I'm sure I should have done it yesterday.

Please feel free to comment or give testimony. 

Drought

 It really has been almost ten months since I've been here. I've not been having a lot of fun and time has not exactly flown. Yet I am a bit bewildered when I look at the calendar. There's been no writing or reading here--blog world, I've missed you! (Do I have blog-world friends left at all?)

Why have I been away so long? Drought.

I'm sure you've heard; it has been on the news and in the papers. Texas is in exceptional drought. Even the prickly pear have turned yellow and shriveled.

It's been a tough year. Since my last post, we've experienced temperatures ranging from -6º F in January with windchill in the -20ºs, to 111º F in June. In Amarillo we've had, if my memory is correct, about 50 days of temperatures that exceeded 100º. Unbelievably high winds through the winter, spring, and most of the summer fanned wild fires that burned millions of acres and destroyed thousands of homes. My own neighborhood was forced to evacuate twice this year because of fires. And still fires are being fought daily across the state.

In all my life I've never see the land so parched. Crops have failed, ranchers have been forced to sell their herds, lakes and wells have dried up, and cities have restricted water usage. I've literally cried for my beloved state.

Harsh weather and lack of rain are not the things, necessarily, that have kept me away from this blog. It's been a personal drought: a life draining dryness of my soul. I've had no words or thoughts to share. I feel like an empty well.

The past several months have not been all bad though. God has blessed hubby and me with two new granddaughters. One was born in July and one is expected to make her arrival in November. Our parents, our children, and our grandchildren were all here for a visit recently. Bills are paid and food is in the refrigerator. God is still on His throne and He is good.

But there have been some disappointments, struggles, frustrations, and down right dull days. That's life, huh?
Of all the events and daily grind that come to mind, I can't decided which has been most draining and  frustrating. The one thing about which I've probably complained the most  is my job and the fact that I have to have one. Yes, the bad financial condition of our country has touched whacked our lives.

I think the last time I posted, I was unemployed. Shortly after that post, I went to work at Sears selling (or trying to sell) large appliances. I won't take up space with a bunch of details. All I will say is--BLECH! Don't get me wrong. In this rough economy, I am thankful to have a job when I need one. So many people are not as fortunate. The problem is--I'm not crazy about commissioned sales, and being tied down to a job keeps me from traveling with hubby when he is working. I don't think "sales" is what God created me to do.

Imagine if you will, hiking up a steep mountain wearing one shoe that is two sizes too large and the other that is two sizes too small. That's me in a commissioned sales position: a total misfit! Though I'm very uncomfortable doing what I do to make a few bucks, I am trying to learn something from the experience. Whatever lesson God has for me, I want to learn it quickly so I can move on and OUT of there, on to bigger, better, and more fulfilling things.

While I've been stuck at home working for Sears, hubby has had a few deployments, worked hard, and kept the bills paid. (And yes, I've pouted about missing out on the travels and adventures.) He is home now, between storms... Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know what that means. My anxiety meter pegs from time to time. *sigh* Some day I'm going to get a handle on that problem. I hope.

In the mean time, I'm praying for rain--I don't know about you, but I am way past ready for a long, steady, life restoring rain--and I'm digging a little deeper in the bottom of my dry inner well. I've not hit a spring yet, but I have come across a clod or two of damp dirt. I know, down deep, the Spirit of the living God resides in me and has the ability and desire to gush! I don't understand nor can I explain this season of drought. All I know is, I'm tired of it!

Dear Lord, let it rain!

Brain Stew and Cornbread

One time when I was a kid, my parents hosted a "Hobo Party." All the attendees dressed in ratty clothes, mussed their hair, and did whatever else they could think to do to fit in with the hobo theme. It was an outdoor affair, in the fall of the year, so a big popping fire provided warmth and ambiance. There were games, a talent contest, conversation, and stew.

Every person brought a can of something--didn't matter what--and dumped it into one big pot to create Hobo Stew. I think it was a good thing that the darkness of night made it hard to see what we were eating, but surprisingly, the stew's flavor was good. Very good. I don't know if it was because I was a kid and the romance of eating my supper out of a tin can while keeping warm by a big fire overpowered my taste buds, or if the stew was really a culinary masterpiece. Either way, I enjoyed the mess.

This morning I've tried to collect my thoughts and plan my day. "Get organized" as my mother-in-law would say. It's not going so well. My brain is like one big kettle of hobo stew. Illuminated by a dim flickering of firelight, there is a green bean, a slimy piece of okra, a little round pea, a slice of carrot, some tomato, a bit of potato, something that might resemble meat, and what in the world is that floating there? humm... My efforts to get it all together is working like a giant spoon whirling around in the pot.

An assortment of circumstances, a bundle of emotions, a pound or two of problems--all dumped together and stirred create Brain Stew. Here are just a few of my ingredients.

• Part-time temporary job unexpectedly cut short two weeks ago--thankful for the cash while it lasted
• Car broken down and in the shop--glad I even have a car
• No job = strain to pay for repairs--thankful for honest fairly priced mechanic
• Need car to hunt for job--should I hunt for a job OR
• Will deployment come for hubby soon--relieved God knows and holds the future
• Wish for skywriting from God--need direction, instruction, and answers
• Baby daughter home from Christmas vacation wearing engagement ring--joyous melancholy flood of conflicting emotions
• Concern for friends with health and financial issues--thankful for friends
• Apprehension about new year--thankful for past blessings
• Does the wind HAVE to blow so hard!?!?! (My West Texas readers will understand)

And the list goes on. My stew pot is full and boiling, almost to the point of overflowing. Before ya know it, I may be forced to stuff cornbread in my ears to catch the drips.

I've been praying and hoping that God will clear my muddled mind so that my questions and concerns will be answered and His plan for me will be obvious. You might say I want to peer into my cooking vessel and see through distilled water all the way to the bottom of the pot. But that has not come to be.

I will admit that I'm starting to feel a bit frustrated. Why can't life be simple and easy? Why must there always be an obstacle and a challenge? Why can't everything be as clear as distilled water?

Maybe because Jesus said it wouldn't be easy.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

 Or maybe it's about character building.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:2-12

Or maybe it is because a pot full of clear water and a distilled life can't prove to the world whom we serve.
 
We work together with God, and we beg you to make good use of God’s kindness to you.

In the Scriptures God says, “When the time came, I listened to you, and when you needed help, I came to save you.”

That time has come. This is the day for you to be saved.

We don’t want anyone to find fault with our work, and so we try hard not to cause problems. But in everything and in every way we show that we truly are God’s servants. We have always been patient, though we have had a lot of trouble, suffering, and hard times. We have been beaten, put in jail, and hurt in riots. We have worked hard and have gone without sleep or food. But we have kept ourselves pure and have been understanding, patient, and kind. The Holy Spirit has been with us, and our love has been real. We have spoken the truth, and God’s power has worked in us. In all our struggles we have said and done only what is right.

Whether we were honored or dishonored or praised or cursed, we always told the truth about ourselves. But some people said we did not. We are unknown to others, but well known to you. We seem to be dying, and yet we are still alive. We have been punished, but never killed, and we are always happy, even in times of suffering. Although we are poor, we have made many people rich. And though we own nothing, everything is ours. 2 Corinthians 6:1-10 Contemporary English Version

Distilled water doesn't have any flavor. So, I guess I'll stop stirring for a while and simply let my brain stew simmer until I can taste the deliciousness of it all.

Will somebody please pass the cornbread?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I dropped off the grid! I haven't been here--blogging--in almost a month. What happened to me?

I had to get a J.O.B.

Yes,  we've been here at home for three months now and the money ran out. Hubby is working for a roofing/construction company but it doesn't pay quite enough to cover all our expenses. So, reluctantly, I started the search for work.

This time of year is a great time to land something quickly. God blessed and I'm now a part-time, temporary, Wal-Mart Associate. What does that mean? It means that from now until Christmas I'll be putting bottles of pills and other "pharmacy" related items on the shelves at Wal-mart. (And I'll be getting exposed to every bug and illness that walks in off the street. *sneeze* *cough cough* *snort*)

No, it's not your "dream job", but I needed money quickly and in less than an hour of turning in my application, I was called. They hired everybody who showed up for an interview, and, well, there ya go! I don't hate it and I don't love it. I see it as another opportunity to cry out, "God, what in the world are You doing in my life?!?"

Hubby told me I've had a bad attitude since I started though I've tried to keep my chin up. Mostly I've been so tired, I can hardly put one foot in front of the other. And, yesterday I started getting a sore throat and a terrible headache. Hmmm. Maybe the oncoming sickness made me a little less than Ms. Sunshine? *sigh*

Today I didn't have to go to work, and I'm popping the Zicam, garlic, Emergen-C packets, and anything else I can think of to get me through the next few days. It is Thanksgiving after all, and I don't want to be a grumpy sick old lady!

Family members are already on their way to my house for the holiday weekend, and I'm excited to see all of them. I'm very sad that the kids and grandkids who live and serve our country in Hawaii won't be with us. My occasional teary moments over their absence add to the river of snot already flowing because of my cold.

I would like to take time to list everything I'm thankful for since tomorrow is Thanksgiving day, but that would take a LOT of time. So let me list just a few because I need to rush to the store to do my grocery shopping (Yeah I know it is a little late, but I've been working!) and to buy several boxes of Kleenex!

1. Always I'm thankful for my wonderful family both immediate and extended. I love all of you!
2. The wonderful land in which I live. I may not always agree with our elected officials and adopted policies, but it is still the greatest place on the planet to call home.
3. The fact that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. With my life always in the middle of some kind of a change it is nice to know there is one solid rock under which I can hide.
4. Challenging times--sometimes I have to force myself on this one--that make me call on God to rescue me, for I know He is the only one who can.
5. Eternity that awaits and the blood of Jesus Christ that gives me eternal hope and security.

Now, I'm off to the store...y'all can pray I make it back alive!

Oh yeah--please pray for deployment to a storm next week! We would SO love that! Thanks.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. May God continue to bless us all and may we all live worthy of His blessings.

 

Discombobulated

It has been a really REALLY long time since I have done a "word" post. So excuse me while I take a little break from the charity projects to post a word for today. I just felt the need.

Today's word: Discombobulated--to be confused or disconcerted; upset; frustrated.

Go ahead and look it up. You'll probably find my picture.

It has been one of those days. Oh don't pretend you don't have them. You want to wash your face so you turn on the water then pour a big blob of detangle hair conditioner in your hand. Ugh. And since that didn't turn out so well, you decide to brush your teeth. *Squirt* There's a long ribbon of toothpaste now on your comb. You say to yourself--I DID already put sugar in my coffee, didn't I? Or did I? You go into the next room and can't remember why you are there. And maybe you should have checked to make sure your T-shirt wasn't on backwards before you walked out the door.

So maybe I'm the only one whose brain (and life) feels like it has just gone through a spin cycle and then tumbled dry. I know why I'm like this. It's stress. You thought it was because I OD'ed on fabric and yarn lint didn't you? I'm not saying I have my addictions under control, but I can handle my crafts! Okay!?!

We've been home a good two months now and you know how I get...I told God I wasn't going to get all worried and panicky this time. And I've done better. Really I have. But today was meltdown day!

The last three days I've spent a good bit of time in prayer. Seeking and sighing, hallowing and hoping, begging, and bargaining, wailing and wallowing. Storms have blown across the country and still, here we sit. Undeployed. Hubby has called the deployment office twice to make sure they know he is ready to go, but he's not been the lucky guy yet. The fact that he is doing a little contracting work on the side helps, but if we could have had a decent living doing that, we wouldn't have started this Dashing and Bold adventure in the first place.

Today, after I'd been on my knees a while, making sure God knew how frustrated I feel, I walked across the yard and the Spirit told me just to give thanks. So I started thanking God for everything I could see, hear, and feel. At that moment the mail carrier pulled up to my box across the street.

"It's here," I heard in my spirit. I knew what "it" was.

I started not to walk across the street. I thought maybe if I just left "it" in the box...I don't know...maybe someone would come flying down the street too fast, lose control, smash into our mailbox and "it" would be knocked out and blown away.

After a short mental wrestling match with myself I went ahead and walked to the box. Sure enough, there "it" was. The hospital bill. (I don't think I told you that my daughter spent a couple of nights in the hospital recently.) It's amazing how much a bag of salt water costs these days! Not to mention a nuclear medicine test, X-rays, CT scans, sonograms,...

My kid is an adult now, but there is no way she can pay a bill like this. And you know what parents do when even their adult child falls apart--they do everything they can to sweep up the pieces. (This particular kid has a knack of falling apart when our broom has lost it bristles.)

With head hanging low I drug my feet back across the street and up the steps into my RV. I decided to do a little blog hopping to take my mind off my troubles. I brought up one of my favorites that I've not read in a while, and before the page was finished loading, this song gushed from my little speakers like a sudden summer downpour. (Read the words carefully.)

MELTDOWN MOMENT!

From discombobulated  to meltdown in a matter of a few hours. It's probably a good thing that I cry instead of drink because I tied on a good one! Eventually I was able to dry my face, blow my nose and soon a precious friend from another state started a text conversation. Somewhere in it she reminded me to be thankful in all circumstances. (I think that's what we, on  a good spiritual day, call confirmation.) On a discombobulated meltdown day, it's a reason to grab another Kleenex. 

Confirmation is a sweet sweet thing. It's God's way of showing us that He is listening when we pray. And He does care about our struggles.

While we were still texting, my daughter called the hospital to discuss her inability to pay the bill. The lady on the other end told her that, because of her low income, she had qualified for one of the hospital's benevolence programs. They just happened to mail the bill the day before they qualified her. (Somebody get me another tissue!)

I'm kinda dense sometimes and I don't always listen well, especially when I'm so discombobulated. But now I get it! When the Spirit spoke earlier, I heard two totally unrelated sentences. But what He really said was, "Just give thanks (COMMA) it's here."
(Excuse me a minute while I wipe the droplets off my granny glasses.)

We still sit here undeployed and wondering why. Every circumstance in my life is not as I would like. But these trying circumstances will never change who I forever am in Christ. So I give thanks. It never crosses my mind to turn my back on Him. Instead I draw closer to Him in these times. So I pray...

Give me joy, give me peace, give me the chance to be free. Give me anything that brings You glory. I know there will be days when this life brings me pain, but if that's what it takes...
And I give thanks.

What a day!

I just found a gnat in my Kool Aid and the pepper shaker in the microwave! Ugh.

I think I should go now. My discombobulated ears hear a tub of hot water and lavender bubbles calling.

The projects

What in the world is wrong with me?
I'm like a cow on locoweed.

I can't stop myself! I can't seem to control myself. I'm doing needles,thread, hooks, yarn, scraps, patterns, how-to books and videos, scissors, paper, pictures, batting, more patterns..., and I'm constantly looking for something new to try--mixing my fixes!
I need HELP! Is there such a thing as Crafters Anonymous?

Hello, my name is Lavonda and I'm an addict--maybe. How do you know when your hobbies are out of control? I think I might be there.

 I've written before about how the changing fall weather always makes me uneasy even though fall is my favorite time of the year. In the fall my anxiety level is high, and I get that intuitive feeling that doom and gloom might be lurking around every corner. This fall is no exception. In fact, as we are "camped" here at home (fair weather is abundant across the country and no hurricanes have managed to make landfall) that uneasy feeling is running rampant and is easily justified. I am, after all, female. And for me, like most females, knowing that money is coming in at a steady and generous pace seems to help calm my fears and chase away the feelings of doom and gloom. (Can I get an AMEN?)

I know I'm hard to live with sometimes. Everyone is. But when there is no work and no paycheck and I have fall induced Eeyore syndrome, I can be VERY hard to live with. I'm surprised hubby didn't choked me long ago.

Aware of my fault, I  desire to try and change my perspective so that I won't drive my hubby quite so crazy. (I think that was something I decided to do in 2010.) Along with that, lately I have felt a direction to invest myself in the life of someone else. Now I know WHAT I need to do, the only problem is--I don't exactly know HOW to do it. I've been thinking about it...

I think I've got squirrels running around where most people have brains. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but I don't have just one squirrel--I have a BUNCH. And they are all running in different directions. (This post is proof.) Anyway---

My efforts to change my perspective and invest myself has thrown me into a crafting frenzy. I have a friend who said I just need a creative outlet. Maybe. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Either way, I have so many projects going at once that I can't decide what to do! The worst part is, all I can think about is starting another one!

Since we've been home, I've made three sets of scrubs for one of my kids, put together a scrap book for my mom that I should have done a year ago, started a quilt (I've never done any quilting before), crocheted a pomp-a-doodle scarf, and taught myself to knit. (I'm not good at it yet.) I've got a plastic canvas project I want to do for the granddaughters, (borrowed the pattern from my sister) at least a dozen sewing projects that I have fabric and or patterns for, yarn and pattern for a shawl I want to make, a crochet baby blanket in progress, a newly purchased quilt pattern for the second quilt I want to make though I've only begun the first,...I could go on.

And what about that photo project I started a while back? The one where I take a picture every day and post them all here on my blog. Speaking of blogs, hasn't it been over a month since I posted anything? Someone tell me: do I have a problem?

One thing's for sure. I have been successful in distracting myself from negative thinking. I've kept my little squirrels very busy, and my husband and I are still happily married. So can an addiction be a good thing? Can being out of control help one control what is usually beyond her control?

What's that you ask? You want my recipe for locoweed tea?
Sure, I'll get one of my squirrels to fetch it for you.


p.s. I'll be back later to discuss helping me "invest" in other lives. Right now I've got to go to church.

I have WAY too much fun with my camera

I've never been any good at following rules. I told you about this 365 picture thing. The meming group I agreed to join posts a week's worth of pictures on Sundays. Well, today was too picture perfect to wait until Sunday. And, just one photo wouldn't cut it for today either. Since I've already posted some photos, not knowing the rule about posting on Sunday, I decided, what the heck. I'd go ahead and wreck the rest of this week and try to do it right next week. How does that sound?

The weather was beautiful this morning (before the wind gusted up this afternoon) so we spent most of the day outside.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow seem to work building, or at least padding, their nest all the time. I keep thinking that one of these days, she is going to have to stop with the decorating and lay some eggs. The feather that is in her little beak came from the chicken coop next door.

I'm hesitant about showing you this next picture because it will give you an idea of how strange, eccentric, weird, unique I am.

For you see, when we first moved here eleven years ago, we had a few cacti and yuccas, so very native, growing on our acreage. Longing for the ranches I grew up on, I wanted to create a cactus bed to embrace the native vegetation. Once we had added more yucca and various kinds of cacti, I decided that the only thing missing from my arid landscape was some bones. You know, like you see in the movies?  A cow, expired from hunger and thirst in the desert, and the bones picked clean by buzzards, was the scene in my mind's eye.

I've got some really fun parents. They are just as, um, unique as I, and they were happy to help me with my plan. Dad knew exactly where on the ranch they call home in Oklahoma, rested a complete cow skeleton, picked clean by buzzards. And my mom knew exactly where on a plot of land she owns, about 30 miles from my house, was a complete mule--long ago deceased and picked clean. I had hit the jackpot!

My precious parents brought all the bones from afar and helped me place them perfectly among the prickly pear and bear grass.  I wish you could have seen it. I was so proud!

Now, eleven years later, stray dogs and coyotes have swiped a good portion of my cow and mule. The bones that remain were so out of arrangement that even I couldn't recapture the original scene. Bindweed and thistle have taken over, and just in case you were wondering, it is really hard to pull weeds from a cactus bed.

Now my little spot of native ranch land is nothing but a mess.

Today was the day to clean up that mess.

All our digging and raking brought this little desert dweller out of hiding.

You can't believe how many pictures I took of this lizard. He got sick of my fascination--all he wanted to do was warm himself on a rock!

The whole time we were working to clean out the bed, we enjoyed the songs of various birds--happy happy birds. Y'all KNOW how I like birds. These beautiful cedar waxwings flitted around in our trees all day, and I was filled with joy because of it. They are so cute!

So there ya go. At this rate, my Project 365 is going to be more like my Project 999. Oh well. Like I said, I have WAY too much fun with my camera!

I'm a girly girl

and this is not my hobby!
What's up with my summer? First I had to go fishing with the guys and now I'm blasting away at a target with a 9mm handgun and a .22 rifle. (didn't get pictures of that one)

I believe every American should have the right to own a gun so he or she can hunt and defend his or her family and self. I also believe that if you have a gun, you should know how to use it, and you should use it with great wisdom, care, and common sense.

Now this gun belongs to my husband, not me. Personally, I think I could have gone the rest of my life without learning to shoot a gun and I'd be happy. But Rick insisted I go shoot with him. So I did.

I did alright learning to use my hubby's new gun. The arthritis in my thumbs makes it hard for me to cock it for firing, but I figure that if I ever have to use it to defend myself, adrenalin will rush to my aid. As far as hitting the target--I did okay there too. I didn't hit the mark perfectly, but I got very close. If an attacker were as near as 30 yards away, I could do some serious damage.

But this post is not about the right to bare arms or my eagle-eye aim. It's about hobbies.

Like a kid in a candy shop, after purchasing the gun, my husband grabbed up bullets, hearing protectors, more bullets, a cleaning kit, some more bullets, eye protectors (both the clear and sunshade kind), another box of bullets, a carrying pouch, and...oh yes, some bullets. Rick is not the violent type, and the boyish glee with which he clutched his new belongings told me the man may be developing a new hobby.

I know some people do shoot guns as a hobby and that's great. I enjoyed the brief challenge of trying to hit the X in the middle of the target, but standing out in the bright sun and 100+ temperature didn't make it to the top spot on my fun list. I'm a girly girl and I like to cross stitch, crochet, read, bake--you know--less aggressive, less competitive activities.

Yet I found myself accompanying my husband while he had a blast--literally. Sharing hobbies is one of those things that help to build a lasting marriage and make life together fun. Shooting with Rick was a good thing, and it has put my mind to thinking...

The next time I buy some new cross stitch needles or a crochet hook and yarn, I think I'll insist that hubby learn how to use them.

I have to go now, I think I hear someone laughing at me.