More Christmas-ing @ the Gardners

Well, its been a good long while since we've played with ALL the Gardners! After Lauren caught the Amtrak to VA to see her dad and grandparents, we (including BamBam) headed to South Carolina for more Christmas-ing! It was productive and efficient time of post-holiday shopping for Zoe and I as we scored at Old Navy, Pier 1, Kohl's and World Market. She is a crazy mad woman when it comes to shopping.

Also got a chance to meet up with Jenn for dinner and was so good to have girl time! Most of the weekend was a time of football including watching the Skins bite the dust to Dallas. Next year, next year. Dear God, let us have some victory next year.....

I brought my Christmas dinner leftovers and those Gardners know how to clean plate! Zoe and I got a good walk in with the dogs while the hubbies even made it to the gym. There was plenty of mayhem with the Gardner kids especially you know who (BEAR!). Danny and I got to see Josh at swim practice and you can't tell in these pics but that boy is like 8 ft tall now!!!

BamBam and Espy had their usual fun including decimating not one but TWO bo-bos. There was a constant need to clean up bo-bo guts. Those two are in love as they have always been but Bambam is starting to realize that Espy is a much smarter dog than he.....

Thanks Gardners for always treating the Dulins like family!

Christmas Activities and Such

Well we had a most excellent Christmas! Really, it was wonderful and I enjoyed my day with Danny and Lauren who both spoiled me well! (Michael was in WV with his mom). I got a new PINK phone with a "qwerty" keyboard which means I shall text with speediness! Some fine black "house" slippers (Lauren gave me so much grief because I wanted them!), an iPod arm excercise band thing, lots of goodies, etc! Danny got a GPS from me and UNC pjs in preparation for Lauren headed that way!! Oh, and by the way, Lauren actually finished ALL her college applications Christmas afternoon.....

I cooked another turkey and cornbread cranberry dressing again and we had our neighbors Lourie (she is in my Monday night Bible study) and her husband Preston over to join us! It was mighty fine!

Merry Christmas

Family (of Satan) Christian Bookstore

I am in a ranting mood, I'll confess. I love the holidays and don't mean to pee in anyone's cereal but there are some cereals worth peeing on.

The other day Lauren and I went to the Family Christian Store. There displayed prominently in the front display was a book by my favorite creepy buddy Joel Olsteen. Well, praise God there's a copy of his book so easily accessible for the masses of Christ followers during the holidays and those who don't know Christ, because this book will surely tell you the truth about picking up your cross daily and all about the good times of dying to self!

I should have left immediately, but Lauren had a gift certificate she got and was going to use it. As I wandered the store, I saw books by authors I knew were short of being labeled snake handlers. Okay, I exaggerate. But seriously, I was sick to my stomach by the amount of material there I knew was not Biblically sound. I wasn't just sick that this "Christian" store sold the stuff, I was sick because I knew there were many who would read this stuff and not know that God's Word says differently.

Wow, I'm just so super spiritual and a walking vat of truth and Biblical knowledge now aren't I? That's not what I mean when I rant. I am not smart really. And not special as a student in God's Word. I am special in other ways though, but I digress. My point is this, it breaks my heart that there is a watered down heretical amount of content being sold in what we take for granted as "Christian" bookstore. Must we always check under every rock? Must we always be testing all things against Scripture? Must we not assume when you say Christian you mean one thing versus another?

The answer is yes. And its exhausting. Heading over to the Lifeway Christian Bookstore now..... at least they don't carry any Joel Olsteen.

Barbie and Bratz Dolls: Sluts R Us

Call me a middle-aged crotchety old woman, but is it me or all the "popular" dolls out there 1 step away from looking like porn stars?

Lauren is pass the age of requesting dolls (thank God) and I was shopping for 2 younger girls who had either wanted Barbie or Bratz dolls on their list. How hard could this be? Let's see......when I went to the Walmart, all that was available was white Barbie. Where was black Barbie? WHERE was my colored sista BLACK Barbie? I guess she was sold out. There was no Fresh Off the Boat Asian Barbie either. White Barbie only. Tiger would be in heaven. Ughhh. Well, my little black girl was getting herself a white Barbie and I hated that.

Okay, one present down, on to Bratz doll. Hmmm. Why no request for My Little Ponies or Care Bears? Bratz.... Bratz.....OH, there! What the ...?!

Bratz doll choice 1: Blonde barbie-esque mother drove her to beauty pagents from embryo look
OR
Bratz doll choice 2: Sista from the hood "Dance Crew" model who was showing her mid-drif and if you saw her in real life you would not be thinking Santa when you said "Ho, ho, ho!"

I am sorry, but do parents REALLY buy these gifts for their daughters? I am by no means original in my thinking about the plight of our culture, the connection of mass marketing raising pre-teens into the horrific generation of hoochies that wear skirts the length of belts which would be considered their church outfits, by the way. "Hey, be a Dad and tell your daughter to put some clothes on! . . . . Oh, and stop buying your brat Bratz!"

But I am a hypocrite. I bought the Bratz doll I admit. I was horrified but in the frenzy of getting shopping done, my moral compass was not working as it should. The gift is wrapped and given and should I see the young girl in church bearing her mid-driff, I will know I contributed to the deliquent. Sigh.

Open House

We have had a flurry of holiday activities; and I love it! I love all the things that bring Christmas tradition as I know it during this time of year. We decided to have a Christmas Open House this past Sunday as an opportunity to get connected with folks in all walks of our lives. We had about 40 people show up.

Life is busy enough trying to get connected with people you know well, much less with folks in your community you say "Hi" to in passing. We invited Danny's coworkers, the kids' teachers, my painting class, Raleigh Rescue Mission staff, neighbors, the cashier at Walmart, my tailor, church folks...... As I prepped and cleaned and tasked and barked out orders and stood on my feet for 6 hours in the kitchen so on and so on the days before, occasionally I would fall in a chair exhausted and say to Danny, "Why am I doing all this again?" And he would respond, "Community."

"Oh, yeah community," I'd repeat.

On the surface this Open House may seem like just another holiday get together and excuse to sip too much egg nog and eat one too many sugar cookies. For us, it was an opportunity to love people through our home who God has placed in our lives or path. It was great to see my good friend Sue and her family, but its the single gay male neighbor across the street we wanted to engage in getting to know. It was great to have Sunday school people show up, but it was the 22 year-old boy next door who is at a place in his life where he is lacking direction that we wanted to offer "you have 'family' next door." He's the one we want to communicate that he is worth intentionally blessing.

Don't the Dulins sound like wonderful people? Aren't they so attractive and generous and loving and kind and gifted in hospitality? Why yes we are! But not on our own..... We serve an attractive and generous and loving and kind and hospitable God. It is not my home or my cookies or even me, I want people to see --- it is the Lord I serve in my heart I want them to see. It is unfortunate how much of my life I've spent distracting people from seeing Him.

It is easier to invite just the people you already love and know. They are the ones I love to decorate the cookies for and bake the brownies for. They are the ones with which easy conversation and history and memories are shared.

Entertaining is hard work. Getting to know people is hard work. Caring to even getting to know people is hard work. Serving people after you start to get to know them is hard work. Its called "community." Jesus came to serve. He served with His life and He didn't mince words about what that looked like for us as believers in how we should follow Him.

Oh, I'm the social party girl -- you all know I love to fix the hair, put on a sweet pair of shoes and go have a good time. But now its not so much about me anymore. This is probably the first time I (we) opened our house praying for God to help us be intentional about reaching out to people. How will people know who God is in our lives if we don't love them first?

We were blessed in countless ways through this Open House. I shared time with Lauren where she was my right hand in the kitchen all day Saturday and served me with a cheerful heart. I listened to Danny pray for days before the date for God to bless folks. We finally "met" people who's names we didn't know, but knew them only by their dog's names from walking in the neighborhood. Conversations seasoned with salt were had in ways we could not have orchestrated.

Community. Oh, yeah, my life isn't all about me. Its about community.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FOR CATRINA - Here was my menu:

• drinks: coffee, hot spiced cider, egg nog, lemonade
• sweet: sugar cookies, brownie peanut butter sandwiches, brownie raspberry jelly sandwiches, See's Chocolates
• savory: mini-grilled fontina cheese and fig preserve sandwiches, apricots wrapped in bacon with fresh sage (huge hit!), wheat English muffin pizzas (mozerella + pepperoni; feta cheese + sundried tomatos), brie, plate of soft cheese and crackers, mini-corn muffins with cranberries + bacon bits, olive and capers tapanade, crab dip fondue (fresh lemon zest and a bit of Chardonney)

The Ketchup Bottle is NOT a Toy

On Wednesday I treated my 7th grade small group girls to dessert at Chilli's to kick off the holiday season. Good idea. And bad idea, sorta.

3/4 of our time was fun and giggles and girls who normally are shy were laughing and sharing. They were all excited about their desserts. But as desserts got eaten and wait time for parents brought boredom, 3 of my girls decided it would be fun to put salt and pepper in their water. Then they started putting ketchup in it.

Are you kidding me? I KINDLY asked them to stop 3 times. Finally, when I wasn't looking they tried to do it behind my back and instead of showing the patience of Jesus, I lit into them as if they were my own kids.

Phrases like "If you are going to act like 10 year old boys, I will treat you like it."
"The ketchup bottle is not a toy!"

Ugh, I'm so NOT cut out for being their small group leader. I was totally bummed by these three girls and struggled not to let them define my entire evening. I should just stick to serving in church as a ribbon dancer......

Dulin Tree Trimming and Xmas Solar System

We went to the xmas tree farm this past weekend -- it was like 70 degrees! Here are pix plus my "creative" ways of using ornaments. One is of my "chandelier" and the other is of my "solar system." The solar system is actually ornaments my mother bought from Pier One last year AFTER Christmas and they have never been used.

Also, our Christmas tree is shorter than I'd like and the white angel needs to be more goldish. Oh well, next year. This is the first year I have used ribbon on my tree.

A Dulin Thanksgiving

Wednesday, 11.25.09: Utilize male teenager to clean house. Bake 48 blueberry muffins. Prepare green bean bake, mashed potatoes, cornbread and cranberry stuffing, regular Stove Top stuffing, rolls, and cranberry sauce. Set the table. Utilize female teenager to be sous chef and dish washing point person. Clean house some more!

Thursday, 11.26.09:
5:15 am - Wake-up, gather family and head to Raleigh Rescue Mission.

6:00 am - Serve 50 residents 3 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, 48 blueberry muffins, 4 gallons of milk, 3 gallons of OJ, massive bags of cereal, 60 bagels (plain, everything, cinnamon raisin), and 4 packs of cream cheese. Teenagers were sleepy but had generally good attitudes. Also assisted "Chef" with preparing some of the Thanksgiving dinner expected to feed 800 people across the city of Raleigh!!

9:00 am - Return home with leftover Krispy Kreme donuts and bagels! Male teen resumes sleeping. Final prepping for various dishes.

10:00 am - Put 13 lbs. turkey in the oven. Get snacks ready. Take a quick 20 minutes to lay down and recover rest time.

11:00 am - Get dressed. Get pretty. Smell nice.

12:00 - Danny's parents arrive.

2:00 pm - Sit down for Thanksgiving dinner. Terrific turkey, AMAZING cornbread and cranberry dressing (chestnuts totally worth it!!), warm and loving conversation and fellowship.

This was Danny's parents' first visit with us and it was very meaningful for all. I was glad to host them especially since they have 4 other children they could have spent Thanksgiving with and chose to spend it with us. Danny's mom is battling lung cancer (going on 1.5 years now) and no one takes for granted the time we all spend together.

As I spent my first Thanksgiving without both my parents, I will admit it was difficult. I have found my heart grieving a lot despite the many distractions. I have found myself in tears in an odd place of feeling the loss and desire to be near something that could make me closer to them. But grief and heartache are just that and no grave site, or urn, or house will make me closer to two people I will not see in this lifetime again. I struggle with the joy and blessing of my Dulin life and the sadness of the loss of my Snead life. I think there still remains a little girl in me that simply cries out: "I miss my Mommy! I miss my Daddy!"

But what hurts you is also what should make you be grateful for what brings you joy. Cliche but true. I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for. Hope your Thanksgiving was special.

Chestnuts

I will be making a cornbread and cranberry dressing for Thanksgiving dinner. Its a delicious Williams-Sonoma recipe with chestnuts.

Last year I bought fresh ones and roasted them. MMMM, they totally remind me of my mom. She loved to boil them. If you've never had them, they have a consistency of a cooked potato (a little harder) and they are mild and sweet.

Anyway, my recipe calls for a jar of French chestnuts. Huh? Well, okay. So I headed to the hoity toity Harris Teeter. So I ask the lady at the customer service desk. She kindly brought be over to the canned WATER chestnuts.

Ah, nice. No, we are not making chicken chow mein, sista.

Well, turns out they didn't have the ones in a jar because they were "seasonal" and don't stock them until closer to Christmas. Huh? Isn't Thanksgiving pretty seasonal? So the guy helping me says I should just use fresh ones. Then I say, but it says "French" chestnuts. Does that make a difference? He says, no because all chestnuts are of French origin. Oh, okay. So I head over to the produce isle to get the fresh chestnuts. They have Italian chestnuts. Are you kidding?

Is That Yo-Yo Ma playing?

To God Be the Glory

There are those of you who know me recently and for you, Lauren was just part of the package. A package that was growing in intellect, creativity and spiritually.

But for those of you who have known me almost all my life, you have been witnessed to a child conceived out of wedlock and born of a mother who in her youth was foolish and selfish and could not possibly understand the redemptive love of Christ. You have seen the very hand of God, grow and bless in the life of Lauren in ways that only His loving, compassionate and goodness can.

Today as I reflect Lauren turning 18 -- legally an adult, I am humbled beyond words. Which one of us, who were there the day I found out I was pregnant and then the day she was born could have planned the steps of her life to where it is today? Her young life has seen its share of undeserved heartache at the hands of her selfish parents, but her God would not let that go to waste. He would protect her, ensuring that she would know Him personally.

I am so profoundly grateful to many of you who have faithfully prayed for me and for my daughter over the last 18 years. Many of you who loved her, cared for her, babysat her, encouraged her, taught her and helped me to raise her.

I remember after she was born and I was nursing her, I thought, "What in the world will God do with us? What could our lives possibly amount to?" She may not be the person I thought she was going to be, but she is exactly who she should be. And it is far beyond what I could have accomplished. She is a young woman who knows and loves the Lord Jesus.

Happy Birthday, Lauren.

Lump Eck Toe Me #3

Yesterday, I had my third minor surgery on my left breast. It was the exact same procedure that was done as seen in my post here last year. The reason for the surgery is the same as last time; the test results from a biopsy showed "abnormal" cells. In fact my surgeon said she would be okay if I opted to forego the surgery, but still recommended it as a super precautionary thing.

Danny and I decided we'd better go for it. We are at an "easy" time in our lives and have good health insurance and he has the flexibility to care for me (just like last year). Plus this gives me a legitimate reason to pop percocet.

I knew God was going to get me thru just fine when my surgeon showed up in a UNC surgical cap (GO TARHEELS!). Then she asked if I wanted snickers or a kit kat after surgery. I love that Dr.!

Since I knew I wouldn't be able to wash my hair until Sunday or Monday, I made sure to wash and fix it Thursday night. I had several nurses tell me how pretty my hair was when they prepped me yesterday. Then I felt embarassed wondering if they thought I did my hair for the surgery. Vanity is a curse. And if for some reason I didn't make through surgery, it was probably important I still looked good, ..... well dead.

Surgery is so weird especially when they start to anesthetize you. This is my memory of it all. Danny was in the pre-op room with me. We were saying good bye as they administered the "I don't care juice" in my IV. The nurse said to Danny, "It will hit her in about 30 seconds when we go around the corner." And it did. But I was fighting it trying to concentrate on the signs I was passing as they rolled me to the operating room. I was trying to focus on the lights in the ceiling and convincing myself, "I'm okay."

The operating room was cold and everyone seemed in a good mood. It felt like they threw my body from the bed to the operating table with ease. There was a Lionel Ritchie song on and my surgeon commented on it and I remember saying, "Hey, I have this on my iPod." To which she retorted,"We played it just for you." And that was the last thing I remembered.

I slept on and off yesterday and was fairly comfortable. Today, the pain is noticable but I'm not in any major pain this morning. I have been surviving on Tylenol because I ended up throwing up my dinner last night. Probably due to the anesthetisia, but it could be percocet related too.
BTW, percocet makes you constipated. And even as I type this, Danny handed me some prunes, a metamucil cracker and water. I feel so sexy.

Thank You

Thank you to the men and women who have and do serve our great country. I am often saddened that as each new generation emerges, they seem less and less aware and down right ungrateful for the sacrifices our military men and women have made. I am saddened that there are men and women who have spent their entire lives serving our nation with integrity, and yet there is a generation of younger military service people who do not hold to living their lives with all the honor of this calling. I don't mean to sound like an old foggie!

Mostly I want to take a moment to honor my Danny for his 20 years of service to your country first as a marine and then in the Army National Guard. He served in two peacekeeping deployments: 1 in Bosnia and the 2nd in Kosovo. Even though they were peacekeeping missions, they were considered combat zones.

He will credit the military for many good things in his life and how it has shaped him as a man, father and leader. He has always served with enthusiasm and a deep respect for his responsibilities even though it took him away from his family.

One of the things I think is cool is how his service has affected Lauren. Because of Danny's example, she initiates thanking military personnel we might see in public.

We need to be raising a generation who fear and love the Lord, but who also honor and respect our military.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Friday night there was a first in the Dulin/Bullock household. A teenage boy invited by Lauren came over for dinner to meet her family and then ask for permission to date her. His name is Elliot. Although the two of them had started their "romance" weeks ago, they were committed to not being "official" until Danny and I met and approved of him.

His parents dropped him off around 4:30. His dad driving the mini-van with his two younger siblings watching while his mother (a stay at home full-time mom/wife) accompanied him to the door. I'm not sure who was more nervous Elliot, Lauren or ME!

After simple introductions and light pleasantries, Elliot and Lauren went for a walk. BamBam was their chaperon. By the time they got back, Danny was home and chit chatted awhile as I prepared dinner. Elliot was nervous, sure but had a surprisingly mature, quiet confidence about him. This was a young man who had nothing to hide and was up for the task of "dealing" with Danny and I because he knew perfectly well Lauren was worth it and he is interested in honoring her. What a breath of fresh air!

Dinner was pleasant and where the real "grilling" began. Elliot was respectful and polite, with a laid back laugh. Danny was not shy about our expectations of how he expected Elliot to treat Lauren but also be responsible for leading Lauren. "So, Elliot, you already know Lauren has a phone curfew of 10 pm. I expect you to take the lead in making sure you both honor that."

We have been praying with Lauren about her heart and God's leading in this relationship. Sure, it could last all of 4 months, but all things are a training ground. We have told Lauren how excited we are about this season in her life with Elliot, but reminded her that we are just as responsible for training her as we are in our contact with Elliot training HIM as well.

After dinner, we headed downtown to the Krispy Kreme for free donuts because of the A's Lauren got on her report card. Then we headed to enjoy various art galleries. Elliot is quite the sport as he is a science/math guy who is not so artsy fartsy. He had good company with Danny :) After that, we came back home and the 4 of us hung out watching TV until Elliot's dad picked him up around 10. A good night was had by all! The momentous moment was when Lauren and Elliot were on the couch and changed their "status" on Facebook.

Top 10 Reasons We Approve of Elliot:

1. He claims to be a Christian and seems to come from a God fearing home.
2. He comes from an intact family that focuses on family --- they spend a lot of time together, and as older brother he seems to love and nurture his siblings.
3. He is very smart and extremely well spoken! We're talking Lauren kinda smart! This boy did two summer internships at Duke in a cancer research lab!
4. He has his priorities in place. When he and Lauren "knew" they "liked" each other, he told Lauren that he had to get his college applications done first before he could invest in time in a relationship.
5. He has such a security about who he is --- not because he is cocky or full of pride, but simply as a result of child with good, family upbringing. He is secure in who he is because he knows he is well loved and supported at home and seems to understand the importance of the authority of his parents in his life. He is not anxious to leave the nest or be independent of them unnecessarily.
6. He knows how to just "deal" with that Lauren streak of humor/sarcasm (yes, she gets it from me). He is laid back.
7. He is kind and not embarrassed to affirm her in front of us.
8. He likes sports but isn't a crazy fanatic fan who HAS to watch the game. He was a high level belt in Tai Kwon Do so he's not a pansy boy :)
9. He dresses well. No baggy pants down the butt cheeks. Very preppy.
10. Finally and maybe most importantly, despite his dad being a Dallas fan, he is not.

What new territory for me (and Danny)!!! No, this is not an engagement. No, this could or could not be anything significant. But it is still huge -- a demands of us to parent in an area with Lauren we have not before. I think what I would just like to praise God for is that He has shaped my daughter in such a way that it is the CHARACTER of Elliot that drew her to him. And in the same way, she recognizes it must be her character that honors Elliot before God.

No Actors Need Apply

I am yet in another film. This time not as the token Asian female, but as the woman serving alongside my husband, the lunch lady. There was no make-up or acting involved. The Raleigh Rescue Mission (RRM) has a small series of videos on their website spotlighting their work and individuals whose lives have been changed. Danny and I are briefly seen as Mr. and Mrs. Every-Other-Tuesday-Lunch-Man-and-Lunch-Lady.

Let me be perfectly clear: we are CRAZY PASSIONATE about what RRM does. It has far blessed us more than we could bless them. Serving along side my Danny has affirmed for me God's plan for our (and any) marriage to work as a ministry team. But this kind of serving is easy and obvious. I can see God little by little training us and using us as The Dulins and not just incredibly gorgeous, gifted Jacqueline by herself (shocking!!).

The training is not in the slopping of food on the plates or drying the dishes or wiping down the counters. The training is following my husband's lead as he provides a safe environment for me to engage and serve others. His friendly banter with staff and residents loves them well as he slops the food. "Oh, hey there! Now I know you want the meat; you always like the meat." He takes every opportunity to remember them and not just see them as a mass of people going thru the line. He takes opportunity to praise me in front of them and allows a safe opportunity for me to engage in conversation with them, where if I was the "lone female" I might have to be cautious and reserved.

I can see it on their faces when we show up for our two measley Tuesdays a month. They don't light up because of me, they smile because there is that warm-love-you-where-you-are-guy-Danny. And there's definitely no acting involved here.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!
(don't blink, you might miss us!)

4220 Lucy Long Drive

Maybe you know someone who is dying to move to Harrisonburg
nestled in the Shenandoah Valley.

Here is a link to my parents' house:
www.4220lucylong.com

Random Thoughts

1. Praise God we have a responsible renter in the VA house as of Saturday! A divorced dad who wanted to specifically live near his daughter. He is an Air Force guy and not only does direct deposit with rent, but pays EARLY! Good things come to those who wait on the Lord!!!

2. November marks the beginning of holiday season, and I am feeling the pangs of missing my parents, especially my mom. It seems stupid, but every time I think that I don't have to go to Harrisonburg this year for the holidays and that I WON'T get to buy my mother a Christmas gift (and I truly loved shopping for her), it breaks my heart. I'm so sad at the thought I have no parents for the holidays. Last year I remember how happy my mother was when we brought Christmas dinner with us.

3. I am experiencing 7th grade girls small group fatigue. I have no options EVER to miss a Wednesday night unless I am sick. It is not them, it is me. Last week, all of them knew their memory verse even my autistic girl when I thought maybe only one or two would know it. Each of them were excited about reciting it to me.

4. New friendship -- it is often difficult to find another couple to be a couple friend with. We have been blessed with Will and Linda, who live in our neighborhood. Will is a church planter and Linda a homeschooling mom. Will was also on Danny's soccer team. Anyway, the four of us have really connected and have been spending significant time together. Linda and I also meet on Monday nights, but have become a daily part of each other's lives through email and texts. They are both mature believers and just plain "cool." The blessing has been that we all know this friendship is not accidental and not just about hanging out and having fun. We are all connected by the sense of community Christ calls us to. This is a first of its kind for the Dulins.

5. I got a pair of dark green cords from Old Navy and I love them.

6. My daughter asked for prayer that she would be more obedient to Danny and I. What a blessing a child with a heart that seeks to honor God is --- it humbles me to think of what God has done in her life.

7. My parents' Harrisonburg house goes on the market today. I suspect it won't get bought anytime soon, but its still a weird and bittersweet thought.

Prayer

Zoe recently gave me Philip Yancey's book "Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?" She is also reading a library copy. The reason she gave it to me is because we are in a season of studying prayer.

I also meet with 2 mature Christian women in my neighborhood on Monday nights for a time of fellowship and Bible study. We are studying prayer. But we are not using any type of guide or book, etc, we've chosen to let God bring to mind Scripture about various aspects of prayer. It has been quite an amazing time of rich insight, humble revelation, and a deep encouragement to pray for each other.

My study of Luke at CBS has also been instrumental in this whole "prayer" topic. I am seeing Jesus as a man of prayer, in many ways for the first time clearly in my Christian life. How odd.

I feel that its almost like I am learning about who Jesus was during his ministry for the first time. Why, when, where, how, for how long did Jesus pray as recorded in scripture is such an intimate window into the heart of our Saviour. I am ashamed to confess, I had no idea. I had no idea the prayers He DIDN'T pray are also as important as the prayers He did.

Yancey's book is "uncomfortable" initially to read because it does ask the hard questions about prayer you fear may not have the "right biblical" answers. The question of WHY we should pray could be answered so many practical ways. But the simple truth is this: We should pray because Jesus did (p. 78). And if I know WHO Jesus is, then I will understand why I should pray.

I have been a Christian since I was 13. That's 26 years. That's over a quarter of a century. My heart is almost crushed that I do not know my Saviour. His Word is full of the intimacies of His life, love, wisdom, character and on and on and on, and somehow this entire time I missed so many of the details. And much of it is revealed in His praying.

My prayers are so idiotic. And at this point, I can barely get the words out to say, "Lord, I just want to KNOW you." What if another 25 years goes by and I am at the same place of "I do not really know my Saviour" ???

Wine-Price Weekend 09

Several weekends ago, we had our annual Wine-Price Girls at the beach. This is our 5th (?) year at the beach but probably our 8th annual get together. I can't even remember now.

As the years have passed, as we've aged, as we've faced various life circumstances, these weekend experiences have changed as well. Some years are pure girly fun. Others are more "challenging" in our friendships. But in the end, the tie that binds us has always been our shared faith in Jesus Christ. We are as different in personality as we look. The seasons these friendships have gone through bring laughter, tears, frustration, growth, grace, and ultimately gratefullness.

Here's to the Wine-Price girls, to our flaws and our fashion and our friendship!

I Feel Pretty And Witty

The Scudders and Dulins double-dated again. We hit a wonderful Polish/German restaurant in Raleigh J. Betzki's (For Cat: I had the pumkin soup and then the Duck Confit, Polish White Bean and Sausage Stew, Cider Braised Cabbage and for dessert Chocoalte-Hazelnut Torte with Sea Salt, Caramel and Crispy Bacon!!!).

After dinner we met up with Michael and Lauren to see the musical West Side Story. We are all pretty much done with musicals that end with tragic love and gun shots. Sigh.

By the way, I am convinced Maria's song "I Am Pretty" is my personal theme song. OH, dear!

I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight.

I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.

See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face,
Such a pretty dress,
Such a pretty smile,
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy (man)!

Happy Birthday

I did it again. October 8th came and went and I forgot to acknowledge it was the day Danny was "born again." It was down on the National Mall at a Luis Palau festival. Anyway, above April 29, 1968 and June 7, 2008, October 8, 2005 was definitely a day of good news and celebration.

John 3:1-8 (The Message)

1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it."

3Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."

4"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"

5-6Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

7-8"So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."

He Is Our Counselor

For lack of explanation about the details of my life, this particular passage I read today seems appropriate. All text is taken from a little booklet: "He Is" by Ken Hemphill. (Holly if you're reading this, I think it was in the welcome packet we got when we went to church with you and your parents and grandparents several years ago!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He Is Our Counselor

Isaiah 9:6
He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

We seem to have plenty of counselors today. We have both the secular and the Christian varieties, the paid and the unpaid, the good and the bad, the invited and the uninvited. It seems like everyone has a solution to our problems . . . even if they can't solve their own! A good counselor will listen, empathize, and point the way to healing, perfectly balancing grace and truth.

And during the dark days in which Isaiah wrote, the people were in great need of one. So he swept back the dark clouds, promising that the gloom of the distressed land would one day be lifted, and that those "walking in darkness" would admit to seeing "a great light."

The cause of the celebration would be the birth of a child. But not just any child! The breadth of what is said of him so far exceeds human boundaries, even the most profound skeptic would have trouble arguing that the prophet had an earthly prince in mind. He must have been looking forward to the day of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the rightful King.

Isaiah saw the child with the royal symbol of government flowing from his shoulders, yet the child was so glorious that one name proved insufficient to describe him. Therefore we find five descriptive titles, including this one: Counselor.

In chapter 11 the prophet identified him as a shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him -- a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." (v.2). This coming one was promised to be the counselor of his people.

Look at Jesus later as he counsels the woman taken in adultery. He offers her grace but confronts her with the truth. Yes, we have a perfect counselor in Jesus. But to benefit from his counseling, we must be willing to listen to him, meditating on his Word, and taking his prescription for our healing; our total obedience.

Remembering Jack

Its hard to believe today marks 3 years since my Dad past away. I confess this year, it feels less significant as my thoughts and heart have been more preoccupied with my Mother's passing in May.

I wanted to just list some things about him that I remember, because no matter what people say time DOES fade memories. I do not believe his spirit is still here or that he lives in my heart or memories --- that doesn't mean he is absent from my life, my thoughts, and my heart. I just believe that it is my responsibility to intentionally remember him so that I won't forget.

One of the ways I remember him most, almost on a weekly basis is observing my Danny. They say little girls are drawn to men that are like their fathers. If you know Danny or Mr. Snead, you know there isn't anyone in the check-out line, the drive-thru or ANY public setting that either of them won't engage in friendly exchange with. Ask Danny, and he will tell you after I've seen him joke or be friendly to someone, I say, "I married Jack Snead."

• My father loved people
• He cherished me
• He SPOILED me
• He liked to dance but looked a little weird at it
• He let me stand on his feet when we danced together
• He use to say to me "There's the pretty girl!"
• He spanked me with a belt (ouch!)
• His nick name for me was "Jack-Jack"
• I have many memories of him fully supporting me in all my school activities
• He was generous in telling me he loved me and was proud of me

Request for My Modeling Talents

I'm back by popular demand.

Yes, I've been approached to be a model for an upcoming Bridal Fashion Show November 8 in Cary, NC. I know, I know, many of you have wondered what was going on with my acting/modeling career --- was it on hold indefinitely? was I waiting for the perfect time for a comeback? did I truly understand how my absence has affected the entertainment industry? Fear no longer, as this role as a bride is one I think will be my most brilliant yet.

I'll start my regiment of water and oxygen to get ready to squeeze into a size 0 gown. Well, okay maybe a size .75. Um, maybe I'll just opt for wearing the mother of the bride dresses ......

Click here for details on my upcoming appearance.

The Diviners

Congratulations to Lauren who landed the part of a 1930s diner owner in this fall's play, The Diviners. There are only 4 female roles and the main characters are 2 men. Its a small part, but she is thrilled to have made the cut and is looking forward to the production. Rumors have it that it will be a "minimalist" production with few props and set production. Even Michael, our theatre tech guru doesn't expect to do much because of this.

Here is a brief synopsis of the play which, in my opinion is "interesting."

In a small farm community during the depression water and faith are in short supply. A charismatic but back-sliding preacher drifts into town and meets a gentle but misunderstood boy with the gift of divining or water-witching. The two outcasts find a common bond and help each other divine for truth, faith and hope. The townspeople though demand the preacher return to a way of life he no longer believes in and it drives both men to a crisis of trust. Jim Leonard Jr.'s earthy, funny, poignant and profoundly tragic play has echoes of Steinbeck's classic depression era work. The characters are simple but good people searching for hope and something to believe in.

Family Beach Trip

The kids had a 3 day weekend so we planned our first "family" trip together to Nags Head. Danny got us the same house he and I stayed in over the summer for our anniversary. The weather varied, but on the last day we got some warmth and sun. The rainy hours were great for all of us to hang out, give Lauren the opportunity to work on scholarship/college apps, and of course watch the Redskins kindly let the Lions win their first game in 2 years.

We had expected Michael to be in the water and Lauren to make sand castles. Lauren ended up spending the most time in the water and really got "our money's worth" from her boogie boarding. BamBam as usual could not resist the water especially when there was a ball thrown in.
At one point, while he was paw deep in the ocean another dog walked by and BamBam cocked his leg and pee-ed in the ocean to mark it. Brilliant dog.

Here are some other highlights:

• we saw a bear cub on our way there
• we saw 2 deer in the back and a fox
• BamBam caught a couple of crabs on the beach
• we made smores in the microwave
• Michael won at Monopoly
  
• a seagull pooped on my back

Here are pics from our trip:

Supervisor Dude!

Congratulations to Danny
and praises to God!
My man was promoted last week to some sort of supervisor dude as part of a re-org and now oversees two teams: Network Development Team and Network Security Team. And how fortunate is he that his wife still has some techie-ness in her that she actually understands what that means!

In an economy where many have lost jobs, we are humbled that Danny's employer (Administrative Office of the Courts for the state of North Carolina) has promoted him in his first year there. Hate to be all corny and stuff, but Danny is a natural born leader and has an enthusiasm to motivate people around him. I am so proud of him! Now you can be too! Go Danny! Go Danny! Go, go, go!

Painting #5

I haven't talked about painting much, but I am STILL painting and this is one I finally finished on Monday. It was inspired by a photo of my mom (LEFT) in her brightly flower patterned outfit so completely 70's hip. I love this photo of her --- she looks gorgeous, stylish, and so happy.

The painting is not necessarily a portrait of her, but eludes to it. It includes images of Lauren and myself and the idea that all three "women" are connected and separate. Who looks like who, who acts like who, who is the image of the other both in physical feature or mannerisms, who is in the past and who is in the present and will be in the future.

I am still playing with the grid and layering and transparency and which layer is "concrete" and where the pattern begins and ends.

As usual the image online doesn't seem to translate the paint and their colors well. I am have mixed feelings about this piece. At certain points I loved it and was disappointed with it. I think overall, I am moving in a more sophisticated direction with my work.

My Girls and God

1. Lauren -- more proud poetry moments this weekend (but I have had my fill of poetry I confess.) She has had such a humble, grateful heart. When her spirit is like this, there is nothing I would not do for her, no way in which I would not help her. She has been such an encouragement and blessing to our family this weekend. Imagine now how our heavenly Father feels when we are humble.

2. My 7th grade girls are turning out to be more "complex" than I had expected. There is one with Autism and she struggles with sleep but knows Jesus cares. She has compulsive disorder and is obsessed with her fingers getting dirty. "Do you think Jesus loves you less if your fingers are dirty?" I ask. "Yes, I think he might,"she responds. "No, he loves your clean and dirty fingers. It doesn't matter to him. Plus, he loves your toes too." She stops and then replies, "I am not worried about my toes, just my fingers."

3. "Can I please say something about my mother?" my dominant 7th girl asks.
"Only if you can say it in a way that will still honor her and God," I reply.
She huffs and rolls her eyes, "Nevermind...."
"Would you like me to teach you how? I can give you an example."
"Okay," she agrees.
"I know my mother loves me, but I get frustrated when...... fill in the blank. Does that work for you?"
She nods with hope and says reluctantly, "I know my mother loves me, but I get frustrated that she doesn't buy us any breakfast food."
OH, dear. Where is the scripture verse for this one again?

3. Quiet, struggling to stay awake 7th grade girl who last week was bubbly and very participatory. "Anything wrong sweetheart?" I ask trying not to be too focused on her lack of interest. "No, I'm just really tired." I later found out differently. I have bought the girls small notebooks that they can write anything in to share with God and me (or anyone else). I later read in her notebook that she she was stressed about a particular friendship and that she struggles with friends in general. Today I was online and she sent me a google chat. I was thrilled. But then the conversation was about the sudden death of her grandfather.
Where is the Bible verse for that again?

I could go on. 4 of my 8 girls are from divorced situations with not so good home lives. I've feeling way over my head.

This has been a good week of prayer. God has been gentle and faithful in prompting me to pray through out the day. So many things out of my control. So many things to praise him for. So many things to see him reveal himself through.

I am hearing Him ask me, "Are you intentionally being a blessing? Or are you a curse to the paths you cross daily?" Do you know how hard it is to be an intentional blessing? Its more than a smile and a friendly "Hi." Sometimes all it is is a smile and friendly "Hi" but the process of asking God to reveal someone's need so you can bless them in the 30 seconds or 30 minutes you interact with them is HARD. I have no choice but to pray then.

The truth is, being a blessing intentionally means dying to self. Enough said.

Dreds, Estrogen, and the Symphony

DREDS
Friday Zoe came into town to attempt to finesse my silver dining room wall. Its better, but not as we had hoped. Thanks Zoe. She was also really here to pick up some furniture of my parents I had saved for her. That evening Zoe, Danny, and I went to "Stammer!" to support Lauren performing 2 poems. Stammer is a Raleigh arts/poetry/performance event. Danny and Lauren went together once last spring -- this was the first experience for Zoe and I. Let's just say it was basically the 4 of us who DIDN'T have dredlocks. There was a variety of "acts" -- many very talented spoken word artists and all definitely out of college or older crowd. So when Lauren reached the mic and introduced herself and that she was a senior in high school, the crowd was surprised. Let me be the first one to say that she brought the house down. It was a scary place to do that --- I am proud that she was courageous to perform. And it was so cool to be the non-dred section cheering her on!








ESTROGEN
To give Zoe the complete other opposite end of the spectrum experience in Raleigh, Saturday morning we met up with Sue at her church for their 1/2 day Women's conference: "Being a Woman of Joy." There were plenty of "joyful women" there --- I'm working on being one (ahem). It was a typical women's conference. The praise and worship, the pink flowery programs, and a lot of blonde hair. I'll just say I don't think I saw one person with dreds there. Go figure. The best part was the workshop that Zoe and I attended by a chemistry professor at NC State (we'll forgive her for not being a Tarheel). She talked about memorizing scripture and she blew us away. Not only has she memorized 6 books of the new testament, she shared such practical and encouraging methods by which to memorize. We were so inspired, challenged but not overwhelmed by the idea of memorizing so much scripture.

One of the funniest things she said was that she starts every morning during the 3 minutes she is "regular." Now I have really NO excuse...... I am trying to email her and get her notes and will post them on the blog.

SYMPHONY
Zoe left around 4 on Saturday and after a short nap, my husband took me on a date! Its been forever. We went to a pan-Asian place well known in Raleigh called the Duck and Dumpling. Food was yummy! We then walked across the street to Moore's Square to set up our lawn chairs to listen to a free concert by the NC Symphony. Best of call I finally got to wear my maxi dress that has been waiting for its debut. The rest of the night Danny I were stupid and kept pointing out every woman with a maxi dress on. The concert ended with the Symphony playing the theme to "Star Wars." NICE!

Past, Present and Future

The Past
This past weekend Danny, Michael and I headed to VA to wrap things up (again) at my parents' house. It was particularly difficult emotionally for me this time as I saw less and less of things that were a part of my parents' lives. Once the house is sold, I will have no physical location to go to or visit that is theirs. My theology teaches me that a house or a grave or a urn is not what a person's life represents nor is it where I can somehow be closer to them once they are gone. The fear is just this -- that the memories I have in my head and heart will not be faithful to me. I will forget. Things will fade. I am afraid that all record of the two people that God chose to bring me into this world will be gone. I find the thought of me being the last "thing" that remains of them (I am the only blood child they share). Is there more Jack or Yen in me?

After a long day of weeding through things, etc. we were blessed enough to go over to my friend Lisa's home/farm for dinner. What a wonderful treat! Her daughter McKenzie took me for a ride on their 4 wheeler and we talked about the steer/cow called "dinner" they were raising. We also got a full lesson on breeding, raising and showing lambs. Lisa and I go wayyyy back. In fact, her mother was the realtor who sold my parents' their property in Harrisonburg. She was also instrumental in my last trip there where she took time off, organized Habitat for Humanity pick-ups and just plain cleaned. We lost our fathers within a couple of months of each other and I remember that first year we had a real need to connect on the "firsts" -- first Thanksgiving, first Christmas.... Thanks Lisa, your friendship is a blessing.

The Present
This week has seemed non-stop. Wednesday was Lauren's first time at the Raleigh Rescue Mission. She is an instructional aid/tutor for a GED class. It was a humbling experience for her (yay! Victory for Mom!!). She ended up being assigned to a specific middle-aged woman who's reading was "remedial" --- Lauren said she was grateful to help her and not have to be a math tutor. She also said she wouldn't just let her read the prompts but would ask her questions afterwords to make sure "her student" was comprehending. I could tell this made a huge impact on her because she was getting what it means to serve -- not because WE are wonderful, but because of WHO Christ is in our lives.

While Lauren was in the classroom, I was in a hairnet/bonnet prepping for dinner. This was a different experience then when Danny and I serve lunch. I was actually prepping. I cut up 8 pinneapples, 20 apples, made 40 pieces of garlic toast, gallons upon gallons of ice tea ...... It was hard work!!! (Do you hear the slight whine...?)

The Future
Wednesday night was the fall kick off of church activities. Danny, Michael and Lauren all headed to the senior high groups and I (with much insecurity and trembling) headed over to the middle school area. I was grateful to know one of the 7th grade girls --- her mother is in my Sunday School class and was in my small group last year. I won't go through all the gory details although by the time the night was over I was truly pumped and energized and exhausted all at once. As of now I have eight 7th grade girls in my group. They were all so different and the same. So much talking. SO much talking. I LOVE THEM! My main goal was to establish who was in charge of our group -- ME. There are 2 in particular who are dominant personalities and if I don't let them know who is boss, they will run all over me and the other girls.

Before our time was started, I said I wanted to open us up in prayer and asked who would like to close. No one was interested. "After I pray, can someone just say 'in Jesus name, Amen'?" No takers. So finally, I volunteered one of the girls because I knew her father is the children's pastor. By the time our evening ended I wanted to pray again for their week and send them off, I again asked for someone to close us out after I prayed. Six or seven hands shot up and there were several "Me! Me! I want to do it!" I was floored.

During our time, I made sure I got everyone's "digits" and they got mine. We spent a good portion of time also taking pictures of each other so we had a name to a face and number. They were all terribly troubled that I did not have texting but said they could deal with actually calling or emailing. So my task for them this week was for each of them to contact me. They need to either call me or email me to just say hi. On they way home, one of my "dominant" girls called and said, "Hi! Am I the first one to call?!"

You will be reading many a posts about them. I am really feeling this is God's calling for me. I feel like I just had birth to 8 girls and the mother/mentor instinct is in full throttle. Those of you in ministry or actively serve using your God given gifts know that when you are serving in an area God's designed you to, you flourish. That's exactly how I feel. I am completely aware of the opportunity God has given me to love these girls in this time in their lives one step closer to Jesus. I also am ready to be with these girls beyond 7th and 8th grade. The ideal scenario is to follow them through all the way to graduating high school. They are the next generation of women. I am so excited and scared at the same time!

Or maybe I'm so pathetic that the truth is I never matured beyond a 7th grade girl and that's why this is so exciting ...... ? Zoe says I'm always complaining about having no friends in Raleigh and I've finally found myself a clique.

Define & Explain again...?

I am embarassed to say this, but I'm not sure I totally understand "socialism." Can someone tell me again why "socialism" is so evil? Please explain to me again why as a conservative Christian the idea of socialism should strike fear in my heart?

I am not being sarcastic (for once). I welcome thoughtful comments.

Sand in my ears

Perhaps I am in denial, but my life is ramping up to be quite full starting next week. I'm not sure how it got this way, but I hope I don't become one of those people who spreads themselves too thin.




Sunday:

• Church + Sunday School class, home by 1.
• Day of nap and now football

Monday:

• Painting class 9:30- 12:30
• Bible study with 2 neighbors 7 - 9 pm (trial run for 4 weeks)

Tuesday:

• Every 1st and 3rd, serving lunch at Raleigh Rescue Mission 11 - 1
• 2nd and 4th - Danny comes home for lunch

Wednesday:

• Raleigh Rescue Mission 2:30 - 4 (Lauren tutoring, me doing dinner prep work)
• Church 6:30 - 8 -- small group leader for 7th grade girls (YIKES!!!!)

Thursday:

• Community Bible Study 9:15 - 11:15 (all year)

Friday:

• Danny home for lunch

This doesn't include the time I will try to carve out for walking the dog, the gym, quiet time, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, and other household duties as assigned. Oh, and being taxi for the kids. I should also mention I am starting to do freelance design work again. Gee, maybe I should consider home schooling to really push me over the edge . . .

And no, Ginger, I am not trying to highlight how "serving-ish" I am. I am very excited about all this stuff. Other than the whole God using it to mold and shape my character (me, need molding and shaping??!!), I think there is great upcoming material for blog entries.....

Do You Know....?

This weekend there was a Men at the Cross event to rally Christian men in the Triangle area to come together to be inspired to reach their community for Christ. I like to think of it as a big Campus Crusade for Christ hoo-rah for grown-up boys :)

If you know my Danny -- and his infectious enthusiasm for God -- then you know that this was right up his alley. He was there with two good friends from church. There was a total of 1500 mean that gathered. They heard great speakers, saw some powerful drama (no ribbon dancers), and shared a great time of music worship.

Friday night when he was telling all about it, he stopped to describe the mini-concert worship music time. This was our conversation:

Danny: "Hey, have you heard of a guy by the name of Michael W. Smith?"

Me (giggling): "......Ah, yeah. I saw him in concert..... like when I was 18."

Danny: "OH. Well, he's pretty good."

Me: "Um, yeah. See in the 80's there were two choices in contemporary Christian music. Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. And if you were lucky, they'd do a song together to mix things up. Michael W. Smith, he's been around for a very longgggg time."

I had to explain to him it was like me saying to a Redskins fan, "Hey, have you ever heard of this guy Joe Theisman?"

I'm not a pro or con Michael W. Smith person. I just know he is a huge staple of Christian music industry.

Okay, everyone old enough to know, sing this with me as you imagine your youth group showing a slideshow of some event or saying good bye to a church staff person....
"And friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them . . . "

The Dining Room of My Dreams

I have failed to mention in my recent posts that I have been in "project" mode with my dining room. Last month Danny and I finally bit the bullet and invested in a dining room set that can seat 8 (but really my space only fits 6). Even though we'll be empty nesters next year, part of the purpose was to have a set so we could invite more than one couple at a time for dinner. We believe strongly that our home is a perfect place to minister, reach out, and fellowship with others through hospitality. And no, that wasn't a bunch of bunk to convince my hubby to get us this set!

Before our furniture arrived today, I had my walls painted a light gray and a main accent wall SILVER! Its gorgeous but you can't tell from the pictures. There is some application issues and it will most likely need more work, but for now it will do and depending on what artwork goes on the wall, we might leave it as is.

Pics below are of the set but the window treatments will not arrive for another couple of weeks but they will be white, small chocolate stripe and a green band that is the same fabric as my green chairs. BTW the two end chairs match my grey and silver wall perfectly.



Below are the two lighting fixtures I hope to get to complete the look.

The crystally one is for the entrance

This pendant chandelier for over the table. BLING!

Cantonese Corgi

Today while eating breakfast at our breakfast bar, we saw one of our neighbors through the window stop in front of our house while she was out with her Corgi.

In the past, this fake blonde late 20 something has let her Corgi run on anyone's lawn as she or it pleases. We have witnessed in the past either the fake blonde or the man she is living with (not sure they are married) with this dog on our front lawn. At that time there were also "deposits" on our lawn and our neighbors. So at that time Danny nicely confronted the man and he assured us he was not letting the dog go on our property. Danny said he appreciated it but would also appreciate it if they would not let the dog ON our property at all.

However today was a different story. While fake blonde stopped in front of our house and waited on her dog she also saw us looking directly AT her from our breakfast bar so she was sooooooo snagged. Danny quickly went out to confront her and asked her to not let her dog go on our property. This was her response:

I don't appreciate you coming out here at 7:30 to talk to me about this [mind you she is there in front of OUR house with her dog on OUR property]. I pick up after my dog. He has to go somewhere. Besides if you don't like it you should've bought a house with property that belongs to you.

REALLY? Well of course Danny said all the appropriate things like "It doesn't matter this is my property and please do not let your dog on it."

So here are my thoughts (not actions, just thoughts):

• You can take the girl out of the trailer park and give her a fake blonde look and even buy her a red BMW (which she has) and give her a fluffy dog like a corgi but you cannot take the trailer park outta the girl.
• You are darn rucky Jesus does not give me permission to play who's got the bigger dog with the bigger pile to deposit 'cause "he's got to go somewhere."
• Listen sista, you ARE darn rucky I am a Christian because back in my village, we stir fry up your corgi for appetizer.
  

I am sending her a copy of my property boundaries and a sweet note to let her know trespassers will be prosecuted. After I pray hard about my attitude first.

Or maybe a recipe for sweet and sour puppy will do the trick . . . .

Click HERE to learn more about dog cuisine.

T S D

Many of you may not know this, but Danny is "into" weather stuff. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earth quakes. He is a closet meteorologist. He has a widget on his desktop for reporting earth quakes around the world and he gets updates via his cellphone from our local weather station.

So as you can imagine, he could hardly contain himself to let me know in an email:

"Tropical Storm DANNY is threatening NC."

The Last First Day

Yesterday was the last first day of school for Michael and Lauren. Our Seniors were cool, calm and collected as we dropped them off at school.

Okay, no not really. Lauren was running behind in primping and was stressed and didn't get breakfast and then we didn't anticipate the traffic and they were almost late.

Luckily for them, they had already exited the car when Danny rolled down the window to hollar greetings out to the Principal: "Hey Mr. Williams! Have a great first day of school!" (And if he could have, Danny probably would have honked his horn too.)

Mr. Williams looking EXACTLY like the stereotypical uptight principal in his crisp white dress shirt and tie, smiled awkwardly back and probably thought:"Which parent is that?"

That evening Michael selected Outback as our destination for dinner to celebrate their first day. Lauren is very excited about her classes and Michael was less enthusiastic. He is glad to have his best buddy John in his lunch so all is good.

It was an interesting twist from last year as I asked: "So do you have homework?"
Michael: "Yes."
Lauren: "Hmmm. I don't know."

Let the academics begin.....

Anonymous Commentor

Hey you --

When you leave a comment to a blog post, kindly leave your name or some indication of who you are so that your comments will be more meaningful to me because I will know its source. Thanks!!

-- j