Joel took a few pictures of me as I sat across the kitchen table from him, peeking from behind a vase of fresh carnations. I decided to mess with the effects for the fun of it.
(He calls me Sweet-a-kins.)
Monday, March 05, 2007
Sweet-a-kins
Joel took a few pictures of me as I sat across the kitchen table from him, peeking from behind a vase of fresh carnations. I decided to mess with the effects for the fun of it.
(He calls me Sweet-a-kins.)
Sunday, March 04, 2007
This 'n That
Sort of a catch-all post here. For your levity, here's a funny clip from our house yesterday, in case you missed it on Kidbits:
Joel was helping Sarah clean her room and she handed him an index card with my writing on it. A column with words and a column with numbers next to it. "Ask Mom if she needs this," Sarah told him.
I looked at it. It was a list of people I'd sold wreaths to, and the amounts. The bottom number, the total, was 500.
"Do you need it?" Joel asked.
"No," I said, "it's just shows how much I --"
"Weigh?" he asked.
---------------------------------
Paul gave me the green light to launch an ebay seller's account. I sold my first two items today and am so thrilled. A nerdy thrill, of course, since I'm actually LOSING money on the first one. The first one is from Hawaii and he bought a brand new (with tags) LL Bean shirt . I started it low to generate bidding excitement. Yeh, I think the buyer's the only one excited. He was the only bidder and got the shirt for a buck. He lives in Hawaii, so I probably undercharged shipping. And the eBay fees and Paypal fees actually mean I've been charged more to list it and receive payment than the shirt sold for. Oh, well, live and learn. The upside is that the ties I listed, which Paul thought no one would take, got 4 bids! I am enjoying this little venture, but have SO much to learn. It's not in my nature to ask enough money, I guess. ANy tips from you all w/ ebay experience would be greatly appreciated.
-----------------
Ben wants to go to France on a missions trip with Dan this summer. We are discussing it and praying about it. It doesn't cost nearly as much as the trip to Russia. I want to stow away in his suitcase, but not for evangelistic reasons. I want to see meet Isabelle and Renee in person, and have personal, Christian tour guides show me around one of God's prettiest countries!
---------------------
If you haven't discovered Deal Detectives, you must. It's Paul's and Sarah's stompin' grounds in cyberspace for outstanding deals. SEe www.dealdetectives.com. Every week they list retailers offering rock bottom prices on stuff you just might be looking for.
I also like www.Brylanehomes.com for great finds on home dec stuff. I haven't actually purchased anything from them, but am ready to make the plunge for window treatments for my kitchen/family room.
------------------I
I want a good crab cake recipe. I made some the other night and shaped them into muffin tins, mostly so I could make 12 (2 for each of us, the same size). Despite the fact that I sprayed what I thought was a generous amount of Pam into each muffin cup, the cakes still stuck. Any tips?
I wasn't thrilled with the recipe (which was my adapatation of the one on the side of the crab meat container).
--------------
I'm loving Genesis through and through. I just reread the story of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers. I always cry when I read that he excused himself and went away alone to weep before he did this. I can just picture Jesus doing this when He's on the verge of revealing Himself to someone coming to Him for mercy, forgiveness, and the Bread of Life that He is. I like that Joseph understood his brother's language (Hebrew) but they couldn't understand his (Egyptian) and he kept that fact secret until he was ready to reveal himself. Like God , who knows every human language (because he authors language) but no one "speaks His language" until He gives them understanding through His Holy Spirit.
Joel was helping Sarah clean her room and she handed him an index card with my writing on it. A column with words and a column with numbers next to it. "Ask Mom if she needs this," Sarah told him.
I looked at it. It was a list of people I'd sold wreaths to, and the amounts. The bottom number, the total, was 500.
"Do you need it?" Joel asked.
"No," I said, "it's just shows how much I --"
"Weigh?" he asked.
---------------------------------
Paul gave me the green light to launch an ebay seller's account. I sold my first two items today and am so thrilled. A nerdy thrill, of course, since I'm actually LOSING money on the first one. The first one is from Hawaii and he bought a brand new (with tags) LL Bean shirt . I started it low to generate bidding excitement. Yeh, I think the buyer's the only one excited. He was the only bidder and got the shirt for a buck. He lives in Hawaii, so I probably undercharged shipping. And the eBay fees and Paypal fees actually mean I've been charged more to list it and receive payment than the shirt sold for. Oh, well, live and learn. The upside is that the ties I listed, which Paul thought no one would take, got 4 bids! I am enjoying this little venture, but have SO much to learn. It's not in my nature to ask enough money, I guess. ANy tips from you all w/ ebay experience would be greatly appreciated.
-----------------
Ben wants to go to France on a missions trip with Dan this summer. We are discussing it and praying about it. It doesn't cost nearly as much as the trip to Russia. I want to stow away in his suitcase, but not for evangelistic reasons. I want to see meet Isabelle and Renee in person, and have personal, Christian tour guides show me around one of God's prettiest countries!
---------------------
If you haven't discovered Deal Detectives, you must. It's Paul's and Sarah's stompin' grounds in cyberspace for outstanding deals. SEe www.dealdetectives.com. Every week they list retailers offering rock bottom prices on stuff you just might be looking for.
I also like www.Brylanehomes.com for great finds on home dec stuff. I haven't actually purchased anything from them, but am ready to make the plunge for window treatments for my kitchen/family room.
------------------I
I want a good crab cake recipe. I made some the other night and shaped them into muffin tins, mostly so I could make 12 (2 for each of us, the same size). Despite the fact that I sprayed what I thought was a generous amount of Pam into each muffin cup, the cakes still stuck. Any tips?
I wasn't thrilled with the recipe (which was my adapatation of the one on the side of the crab meat container).
--------------
I'm loving Genesis through and through. I just reread the story of Joseph revealing himself to his brothers. I always cry when I read that he excused himself and went away alone to weep before he did this. I can just picture Jesus doing this when He's on the verge of revealing Himself to someone coming to Him for mercy, forgiveness, and the Bread of Life that He is. I like that Joseph understood his brother's language (Hebrew) but they couldn't understand his (Egyptian) and he kept that fact secret until he was ready to reveal himself. Like God , who knows every human language (because he authors language) but no one "speaks His language" until He gives them understanding through His Holy Spirit.
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Coffee Table Tale
I advertised a Queen Anne coffee table for sale in the local Pennysaver this week and got about five calls.
The call that turned into a sale went something like this:
Nancy (calls at 10:45 pm Thursday night while we're listening to Stephen rehearse his government speech. "Let it go," Paul says,after seeing a strange number. (The caller leaves a message that it's about the coffee table, apologizing for the lateness of the hour.) I return her call at 10 the next morning.
"Will you be home today so we can come look at it?" I think of errands, house cleaning, carpool, youth group, Children of Zion at Mt. Zion.
"I'll be in and out, but the best window of opportunity will be from 4:15 to 5:30, if you'd like to come by during that time."
They came at 4:15 on the nose and I thought it might take 10 minutes tops. You either want the table or you don't. Well, they came in, I ushered them to the living room and for some reason blurted out the reason we're selling it. "We are trying to simplify our lives and at the same time my daughter and I are raising funds for a trip to Russia."
"May I sit down?" asks Tom. He's about 70, she's probably a bit younger, but weak and winded.
"Certainly," I said, "Make yourselves comfortable."
"Well, this is very comfortable furniture," Tom says, and Nancy does some "mmhmming" . "Yes, it is," she agree, stroking the top of the sofa. I wanted to say, "It's not for sale," but instead I say, "This is my nappin' couch. I come here to get away and I read here every morning."
"Russia, eh? What're you going there for?" says Tom.
" A missions trip," I say, "My daughter is graduating this year and wants to care for orphans with me."
"We're Christians, too," he says, and they seem to settle in for the afternoon. Neither mentions the coffee table.
Before long, Tom told me his testimony: when he was 38, had all the world could offer him--successful law practice, big house in the 'burbs, nice cars, you name it. But he had no hope and was planning his own death. He recounted the Friday that was to be his last, as he planned. He took his daughter, then a teen, to the dentist. In the waiting room was a smattering of Christian literature. He picked up two pieces: one a Chuck Colson "Born Again" comic book, the other Power of Praise. He got absorbed in the latter but coudlnt' take it home, so he stopped by Waldenbooks after the appointment.
"I walked into Waldens and right there on display was Power of PRaise, and there was a light shining on it. What are the chances?"
"In Waldenbooks? Supernatural," I said.
"I couldn't read, I had no peace, andn couldn't put the book down. Read it all night, and reread some parts. Next morning I got down on my knees and prayed to God. I don't even know what I said, but told him I was desperate. I was Catholic all my life but this was the first real pray I prayed to God with my heart. Went about my day, nothing felt different, so I called a Chrsitian TV hotline and told I prayed but it didn't work." (He explained that he meant there were no feelings, he didn't feel changed. The TV lady prayed with him adn told him he was definitely a new creation, saved by God's grace. Feelings didn't validate or change truth." He told his wife to join him for a country drive and on the way, he told her of his prayer and "suddenly in the car, as I drove and told her this, I felt a peace come over me like I'd never known. I knew it's what I'd been missing all my life. I was a changed man. I started going to every Bible study I could find, and learn all I could. Unfortunately for some groups it was their mission to get Tom to stop being Catholic. Finally I had to say, "if you want me to stop being Catholic, then pray and ask God to show me why. Otherwise I'm going to have to leave because you're making me very uncomfortable. So they prayed, and I researched and I found my answer at a monastery library. I looke up basic Catholic doctrine in the official Catholic encyclopedia, and it said that Mary was immacutely conceived, she lived a sinless life, she is a co-redeemer with Jesus, and a co-mediator. Well, I got up and walked around the the library and came back and reread that, walked around again. This monastery was Trappist [sp?] which meant they didnt' talk, they just prayed , read, what have you. That's okay, I didnt' want anyone to explain it. I t was in plain ENglish. I had found the reason I could no longer be Catholic since I knew the real doctrines of the Catholic church. I'm not saying a person can't be Catholic and Christian, I am saying I couldn't because now I knew the truth of the Bible and compared it to the Catholic encyclopedia of doctrine. And that was just the doctrine of the immaculate conception! Since then it's been my mission to get my family saved before they die."
I must've raised my eyebrows when he said "get my family saved" because he added, "I mean, God does the saving, but I am determined to do all I can to lead them to Him."
Okay, this is truly a wonderful way to spend an afternnoon, having biblical fellowship with total strangers. Of all the myriad Harford County residents who wanted to look at my coffee table, I was blessed with a talkative, intelligent, ex-Catholic Christian and his quiet wife. They didn't mention the table until 5:00. "Well, honey, what do you think of the table?" Tom asked her enthusiastically.
"I like it. I like that it's oval and dark wood."
They asked if I had a young man to carry it to the car .
"Matter of fact, I have two. I'l get the bodybuilding son from the front yard," I said, and Ben came in and seemed to lift the table up and out with one hand.
Meanwhile each of them needed a turn in the bathroom, and I had to humble myself to flush the toilet first and apologize for a little boy who still needed training.
As Nancy was getting cash out to pay me, Tom said, "Honey, give her an extra five. They're going on a mission trip."
They pulled out of the driveway at 5:30.
The call that turned into a sale went something like this:
Nancy (calls at 10:45 pm Thursday night while we're listening to Stephen rehearse his government speech. "Let it go," Paul says,after seeing a strange number. (The caller leaves a message that it's about the coffee table, apologizing for the lateness of the hour.) I return her call at 10 the next morning.
"Will you be home today so we can come look at it?" I think of errands, house cleaning, carpool, youth group, Children of Zion at Mt. Zion.
"I'll be in and out, but the best window of opportunity will be from 4:15 to 5:30, if you'd like to come by during that time."
They came at 4:15 on the nose and I thought it might take 10 minutes tops. You either want the table or you don't. Well, they came in, I ushered them to the living room and for some reason blurted out the reason we're selling it. "We are trying to simplify our lives and at the same time my daughter and I are raising funds for a trip to Russia."
"May I sit down?" asks Tom. He's about 70, she's probably a bit younger, but weak and winded.
"Certainly," I said, "Make yourselves comfortable."
"Well, this is very comfortable furniture," Tom says, and Nancy does some "mmhmming" . "Yes, it is," she agree, stroking the top of the sofa. I wanted to say, "It's not for sale," but instead I say, "This is my nappin' couch. I come here to get away and I read here every morning."
"Russia, eh? What're you going there for?" says Tom.
" A missions trip," I say, "My daughter is graduating this year and wants to care for orphans with me."
"We're Christians, too," he says, and they seem to settle in for the afternoon. Neither mentions the coffee table.
Before long, Tom told me his testimony: when he was 38, had all the world could offer him--successful law practice, big house in the 'burbs, nice cars, you name it. But he had no hope and was planning his own death. He recounted the Friday that was to be his last, as he planned. He took his daughter, then a teen, to the dentist. In the waiting room was a smattering of Christian literature. He picked up two pieces: one a Chuck Colson "Born Again" comic book, the other Power of Praise. He got absorbed in the latter but coudlnt' take it home, so he stopped by Waldenbooks after the appointment.
"I walked into Waldens and right there on display was Power of PRaise, and there was a light shining on it. What are the chances?"
"In Waldenbooks? Supernatural," I said.
"I couldn't read, I had no peace, andn couldn't put the book down. Read it all night, and reread some parts. Next morning I got down on my knees and prayed to God. I don't even know what I said, but told him I was desperate. I was Catholic all my life but this was the first real pray I prayed to God with my heart. Went about my day, nothing felt different, so I called a Chrsitian TV hotline and told I prayed but it didn't work." (He explained that he meant there were no feelings, he didn't feel changed. The TV lady prayed with him adn told him he was definitely a new creation, saved by God's grace. Feelings didn't validate or change truth." He told his wife to join him for a country drive and on the way, he told her of his prayer and "suddenly in the car, as I drove and told her this, I felt a peace come over me like I'd never known. I knew it's what I'd been missing all my life. I was a changed man. I started going to every Bible study I could find, and learn all I could. Unfortunately for some groups it was their mission to get Tom to stop being Catholic. Finally I had to say, "if you want me to stop being Catholic, then pray and ask God to show me why. Otherwise I'm going to have to leave because you're making me very uncomfortable. So they prayed, and I researched and I found my answer at a monastery library. I looke up basic Catholic doctrine in the official Catholic encyclopedia, and it said that Mary was immacutely conceived, she lived a sinless life, she is a co-redeemer with Jesus, and a co-mediator. Well, I got up and walked around the the library and came back and reread that, walked around again. This monastery was Trappist [sp?] which meant they didnt' talk, they just prayed , read, what have you. That's okay, I didnt' want anyone to explain it. I t was in plain ENglish. I had found the reason I could no longer be Catholic since I knew the real doctrines of the Catholic church. I'm not saying a person can't be Catholic and Christian, I am saying I couldn't because now I knew the truth of the Bible and compared it to the Catholic encyclopedia of doctrine. And that was just the doctrine of the immaculate conception! Since then it's been my mission to get my family saved before they die."
I must've raised my eyebrows when he said "get my family saved" because he added, "I mean, God does the saving, but I am determined to do all I can to lead them to Him."
Okay, this is truly a wonderful way to spend an afternnoon, having biblical fellowship with total strangers. Of all the myriad Harford County residents who wanted to look at my coffee table, I was blessed with a talkative, intelligent, ex-Catholic Christian and his quiet wife. They didn't mention the table until 5:00. "Well, honey, what do you think of the table?" Tom asked her enthusiastically.
"I like it. I like that it's oval and dark wood."
They asked if I had a young man to carry it to the car .
"Matter of fact, I have two. I'l get the bodybuilding son from the front yard," I said, and Ben came in and seemed to lift the table up and out with one hand.
Meanwhile each of them needed a turn in the bathroom, and I had to humble myself to flush the toilet first and apologize for a little boy who still needed training.
As Nancy was getting cash out to pay me, Tom said, "Honey, give her an extra five. They're going on a mission trip."
They pulled out of the driveway at 5:30.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Newsflash: Grocery Shopping was FUN!
As I've mentioned before (hopefully not ad nauseum) I have seldom enjoyed grocery shopping. It's near the top of the list of duties I dread.
I have been praying over the past months (and asking for accountability in this area from some close friends) that my perspective on this task would change. I knew I couldn't drum up excitement for it, regardless how well I was prepared, how good the deals were, how uncrowded the store would be, or whatever.
But let me tell you. For the past two weeks, or maybe longer, I have been sick. Really sick--coughing, fever at times, runny nose, chest congestion, headache, you name it. Many times I asked God for mercy to heal me on the spot. When He didn't heal me completely (one or two symptoms would disappear but new ones uprise) I wondered what He was up to. I have been sick maybe 12 times in my whole life. Just have a really strong immune system, I guess.
So two weeks of oatmeal, cereal , quick bag meals, fast food, pizza and other not-so-tempting meals to serve the family, yesterday I was a different person. The sun was shining, my spirits lifted, my body felt stronger, and I wanted to grocery shop!
Excuse me. I said I wanted to grocery shop. Me? What? I MUST be sick, not well!
But no, I ventured into Weis and it was like my senses came alive. EVerything looked so colorful,so pretty, so appetizing. I found great deals on meat, produce, and bread. I found no crowd, no lines, no glitches. I even found a plant of fresh basil that I bought because it just smelled sooooooooo good. (Even a lady I passed in one aisle said, "Is that basil? Reminds me of summer!" I said, "That's why I picked it up. I can't wait for summer!"
I came home and treated to the family to New York steak that I had marinated in oil and herbs. Joel asked if he could help, so I gave him the artist's job of arranging canteloupe, strawberries, and bananas on a bed of lettuce. Sarah cut up potatoes and boiled them for mashing. Paul and Ben kept asking, "Is it ready yet?" I whipped up some honey with mustard and oil for a dressing on a bright salad of stoplight peppers, red lettuce and juicy tomatoes.
While helping in the kitchen, JOel said, "Mom, did you get this from Rachael Ray or did you think of it out of your own head?"
How good it was that God allowed me to be down for so long that when I got up, I wanted to do the thing I used to dread.
I have been praying over the past months (and asking for accountability in this area from some close friends) that my perspective on this task would change. I knew I couldn't drum up excitement for it, regardless how well I was prepared, how good the deals were, how uncrowded the store would be, or whatever.
But let me tell you. For the past two weeks, or maybe longer, I have been sick. Really sick--coughing, fever at times, runny nose, chest congestion, headache, you name it. Many times I asked God for mercy to heal me on the spot. When He didn't heal me completely (one or two symptoms would disappear but new ones uprise) I wondered what He was up to. I have been sick maybe 12 times in my whole life. Just have a really strong immune system, I guess.
So two weeks of oatmeal, cereal , quick bag meals, fast food, pizza and other not-so-tempting meals to serve the family, yesterday I was a different person. The sun was shining, my spirits lifted, my body felt stronger, and I wanted to grocery shop!
Excuse me. I said I wanted to grocery shop. Me? What? I MUST be sick, not well!
But no, I ventured into Weis and it was like my senses came alive. EVerything looked so colorful,so pretty, so appetizing. I found great deals on meat, produce, and bread. I found no crowd, no lines, no glitches. I even found a plant of fresh basil that I bought because it just smelled sooooooooo good. (Even a lady I passed in one aisle said, "Is that basil? Reminds me of summer!" I said, "That's why I picked it up. I can't wait for summer!"
I came home and treated to the family to New York steak that I had marinated in oil and herbs. Joel asked if he could help, so I gave him the artist's job of arranging canteloupe, strawberries, and bananas on a bed of lettuce. Sarah cut up potatoes and boiled them for mashing. Paul and Ben kept asking, "Is it ready yet?" I whipped up some honey with mustard and oil for a dressing on a bright salad of stoplight peppers, red lettuce and juicy tomatoes.
While helping in the kitchen, JOel said, "Mom, did you get this from Rachael Ray or did you think of it out of your own head?"
How good it was that God allowed me to be down for so long that when I got up, I wanted to do the thing I used to dread.
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