Wordless Wednesday

Here's Mercy, the puppy. Now 72 lbs.

Here's Gracie, the 3 yr. old. About 120 lbs.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer Name a great website you would recommend to others. www.newlife.com
Soup On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night? 8 - I almost always dream. Sometimes color, sometimes black and white.
Salad Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name? We had a dog named Gidget. She was part Chihuahua and part Toy Manchester. A while after she died my sisters got me a Siamese cat named Love.
Main Course If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise? Wow, so many things come to mind. I'd gladly star in a commercial for my church, which I think is awesome. I would be thrilled to help a charity like Habitat for Humanity. If we're talking products I could definitely do a "real consumer" ad for Enviga, Diet Mountain Dew, Sinus Tylenol, Cheerios, or Frango Mints. Okay, looking at that list might say more about me than I'd like... caffeine, caffeine, drugs, cereal, and chocolate. Well, at least the Cheerios are in there!
Dessert What is your favorite kind of hard candy? Root Beer Barrels

Perseverance - Part 2

About a month ago I wrote about perseverance. This is an ongoing struggle for me so God seems to be continuing to put things and situations in front of me to grow me in this area. Below is an excerpt from an article I recently read in In Touch magazine that gave me some much needed perspective.

"We tend to think that perseverance is about willpower-gritting your teeth and pushing through. But Peter chose a military term that actually means "don't abandon your post." Perseverance is tied to obedience and rooted in calling. It has nothing to do with the strength of your will, and everything to so with submitting your will to the will or another. Perseverance means refusing to quit when you're endangered, offended, or bored. All that is irrelevant. What matters is carrying out your assignment to completion. To do otherwise is to go AWOL. Understood this way, perseverance is what we of the Western church - so fickle, so touchy, so prickly-desperately need."

How often we go AWOL on our marriages, our calling, our job, or other relationships because we are bored or have been offended. Just as often we go AWOL, not because we are truly endangered, but because we fear we might get hurt or offended.
Before we pat ourselves on the back for staying in that marriage or sticking with that job, take a look at what AWOL really means. Absent With Out Leave. In a military sense it literally means leaving your post without permission from your superiors. In our day to day lives, I think it would more accurately be translated Absent With Out LEAVING. Many stay physically but couldn't be any further away emotionally, relationally and spiritually. That is not the same as being obedient to your calling or carrying out your assignment. I'm sure that my "Superior" expects me to be fully present for His assignments rather than just "not absent."

Therein lies the challenge.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why? A Rottweiler of course. I love my dogs. The media and stereotype of this dog couldn't be more wrong from my experience. Ours are friendly, playful, protective, and try to please their master. I like breaking stereotypes and I, too, want to please my Master.
Soup What does the color purple make you think of? Grapes, black cherries, the Central Bearcats, and a suit I had and looked really good in when I worked at the bank.
Salad Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning? About an hour.
Main Course How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them? Oh my goodness! It would take all of Friday to count that out. There were five of us who were all in the same class/grade and went to the same school and we were close then. As adults we are in different towns and states so we have regrettably lost that connection. I have several of my cousins I see through my job since we are all involved in the building trades.
Dessert Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter) Distracted Jumping Fish (wonder if that choice has some deep psychological meaning?)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen tips for remodeling your bath or kitchen.

1. Plan, plan, plan!


2. Start early going through magazines and catalogs. Tear out pages of rooms that look like you want your room to look and keep them in a file. Do not do this all in one week like cramming for a test. If you do this over time and then take your "pages" to a professional they will be able to see trends and styles that consistently appeal to you.
3. Know up front that things won't go according to plan.
4. Start early in case there are things you need to special order. Orders for most cabinets take from 3-6 weeks. Fixtures and faucets take about 4 weeks. Non-standard colors will take longer so if your heart is set on that Navy blue whirlpool you better plan to wait 6-12 weeks to get it.
5. Remember that when it comes to plumbing and cabinets you pretty much get what you pay for. Also, what you get at a box store and what you get from a supplier are not always the same quality even if they have the same brand name. Many manufacturers produce a "cheaper" version for the box stores. That is why their prices are less.
6. The Internet is a good place to browse for ideas but it is wise to buy locally where you have a professional to help you with your choices and to back up your warranties.


7. Be aware that some of the things you see on television (HGTV, etc.) are prototypes that are not available to the consumer yet.


8. To avoid getting overwhelmed by all the choices select one thing you really love and want in your room and build the rest of the room around it. In the kitchen, for example, it could be a certain color counter top or paint. It could be the cabinets you just love or just a rug, artwork, or collectible you want in the room.


9. Make choices based on your personality and how long you plan on being in this house. If you want to sell the house in a couple years choose the neutral color tub/shower over that black one that looks so great in a picture. If you plan to move, or if you like changing things often, lean toward simple and neutral for your big ticket or hard to replace items (cabinets, showers, quartz or solid surface counter tops). Add color or themes with your paint and accessories.


10. Choose your counter tops wisely. Quartz (Silestone, Cambria) and solid surface (Corian, Staron) counter tops are much more costly up front but are much more "user friendly" and will increase your resale value in mid to high end homes.


11. If you are remodeling to resell be sure to keep the house size and style, as well as the neighborhood, in mind so you don't upgrade past what the market will tolerate.


12. Expect delays and allow for unexpected expenses. There are things you or even the best remodeler cannot foresee until demolition begins.


13. Try to relax and enjoy the process. When things go wrong remember two things: 1. This is a kitchen/bath - it is not "life or death". 2. All the little delays and annoyances will be forgotten once you are soaking in your new whirlpool or entertaining in your new kitchen.

Wordless Wednesday

The factories just keep coming down.....

The sad state of American manufacturing - this was the factory my father and father-in-law retired from.

Fridays Feast

Appetizer When was the last time you were surprised? Last weekend when I found out we have another grand baby on the way.


Soup
Fill in the blanks: My eyes are blue, but I wish they were blue.
Salad
If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be? I would be the ladybug and I'd stick with her name- Lucky(as in blessed).
Main Course
Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits. I do stretching/flexibility exercises almost every morning. I get my annual mammogram- faithfully every year. It is breast cancer awareness month. Please check out http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Dessert
What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not? Crest - cinnamon. I really like it because it doesn't taste like toothpaste and it doesn't make anything you eat after using it taste funny.

Thursday Thirteen

Just thirteen random thoughts/questions...

1. My favorite books for children are The Giving Tree (Silversteen), Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Viorst), and anything by Dr. Suess.
2. Only in Indiana can you have your air conditioning on one day because it's 90 degrees out and then, two days later, need to turn on the heat because it is so cold.
3. Regarding that, exactly when should one put their summer clothes away and get out the winter ones?
4. When is it a fashion faux paux to still be wearing sandals?
5. Who was Murphy anyway and why did he make such frustrating laws?
6. Is it harder to break a bad habit or start a good one?
7. At what age does it become useless to make "mental notes" and start requiring that you actually write a note to remember anything? (I'm guessing about 47)
8. I'm looking forward to a Christian comedy show we are going to tonight. I love to laugh. I love even more to hear my husband laugh.
9. I'm currently suffering from grand baby withdraw since I was sick earlier in the week. I think I'll go see her at lunch.

10. How did the Jack-o-lantern get it's name?
11. They've cut the corn fields down officially making in deer season. Not hunting deer season but the season when the deer try to play Frogger backwards with your car.
12. 75 shopping days until Christmas.
13. Hey now, no saying nasty things about the blogger!

Kitchen meme

Okay, so I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work but I've been tagged by Linda at http://www.2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/ . I think I'm supposed to tell eight random things about my kitchen - so here goes....

1. After my house was build I became a kitchen and bath designer/salesperson. I hate the lay out of my kitchen. Here's a tip - if you eat out all the time, design your kitchen for beauty. If you plan on using your kitchen, design it for function.
2. There are 14 Longaberger baskets that sit atop my cabinets. They all get "dressed up" at Christmas.
3. We have recently played a game of musical range hoods with my children. We changed to black appliances and received our hood from our son who was changing his to a microwave/hood. Our white one is going to our daughter who just purchase a home and is remodeling her kitchen.
4. I hate to say it, but the legs to my kitchen bar are highly marred (chewed up) from too many teething Rott puppies.
5. I have several Pampered Chef items that I can't imagine being without: grater, can opener, can strainer, garlic press.... I could go on.
6. The kitchen is where we always end up. There are only two bar stools but the whole family always seem to wind up there, either sitting on the counter tops or just standing around, talking.
7. I suppose I should admit that my kitchen is used most by my husband who does most of the cooking. It's not that I can't cook-really-just that he loves to. Yes, I am blessed.
8. I, however, love to bake. I like my kitchen best when is smells like fresh bread or my infamous chocolate cherry fudge bars.

Friday's Feast

1. Appetizer On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you look forward to your birthday? About a 6
2. Soup What is one word you don’t like the sound, spelling, or meaning of? "ain't" Even if Webster's has added it, it still isn't a word to me.
3. Salad Do you wear sunglasses when you’re outside? If so, what does your current pair look like? Yes. Which ones? I have regular glasses that tint or half a dozen pair of regular sunglasses from the dollar store for if I'm wearing my contacts. I lose or break then so often that the dollar store is the only way to go.
4. Main Course If you were to write a book, to whom would you dedicate it? To my dad who always supported my writing endeavors and then with special thanks to several others who encouraged me along the way including : Hank Nuwer, Sheryl Swingley and Linda Crow. (http://www.hanknuwer.com/)
5. Dessert Name a beverage that you enjoy. Root beer Floats!