Here comes summer, for reals. I'm pretty sure.
I notice that the closer I get to summer, the more inclined I am to get busy. Take this week for example, I had Bible Study on Monday night, Awana tonight, Church tomorrow night and I'm part of a focus group (that pays me, yay!) tomorrow night. Friday night is dinner and games at a friend's house and then its the weekend for a minute.
Phew.
I tend to really pick up the pace during the summer, and have noticed that my pedometer is already reflecting the walking I've been doing. And being industrious is a good thing. I believe it is a good thing, but it's also a good thing to pause now and then.
I'll be working on the pause this summer.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spring Fever
I haven't been writing, but truly, there hasn't been much to say.
We seem to be on the upswing of the year - the time where winter is melting away, and spring is coming...slowly but surely. I'm not usually a believer in spring until the snow is gone, but that doesn't keep me from opening all the blinds and letting the sunshine in. Hmmm...that reminds me of a song!
Here's Izzy and Bella enjoying the sunshine in our living room. That huge picture window is doing a fine job of letting in the sun!
One of the advantages of melting snow is that I tend to get outside more. One of the disadvantages of melting snow is ICE! AAAAA!! So far I haven't bit it...and I'm holding on tightly to that record!
Maybe I'll think of some more exciting things to write - or maybe I'll run out right now and make some happen!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Craigslist
John and I found a cruise we'd like to go on in a couple of years that goes round trip from Sydney, Australia and circles New Zealand. It has been a life-long dream of mine to go to both Australia and New Zealand, and we LOVE cruising, so this is perfect, right?
Except, it costs A. LOT. Not so much the cruise, but getting there, and we don't want to just jump on the boat and go, so we'll want time in Australia so there's hotel and car and food and, and, and.
I had a thought, what if we saved for a trip? What if instead of just going and paying for it, we just had the money set aside for traveling? what a new concept for us! So, I started an envelope and then started looking around our house for stuff we could sell. I turned to Craigslist.
That's right, I'm going to pay for our trip one $20 item at a time. So far I have $25. I have a ways to go! :)
Except, it costs A. LOT. Not so much the cruise, but getting there, and we don't want to just jump on the boat and go, so we'll want time in Australia so there's hotel and car and food and, and, and.
I had a thought, what if we saved for a trip? What if instead of just going and paying for it, we just had the money set aside for traveling? what a new concept for us! So, I started an envelope and then started looking around our house for stuff we could sell. I turned to Craigslist.
That's right, I'm going to pay for our trip one $20 item at a time. So far I have $25. I have a ways to go! :)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
How do you say Beautiful?
Our dog is named Bella. She was Bella well before the craziness that is Twilight, and had I known that that was coming I would have named her something else. She is Bella because her sweet sister is Izzy, and together they are Izzybella. And let's be real here, she seriously is so cute and the sweetest dog ever, so it's only natural that she should have a name that means "beautiful" in both Spanish and Italian.
We go to the dog park now and then, and there are many dogs named Bella. It's confusing for her sometimes and more than once she has followed the wrong human (though not entirely due to her name as she is also a Shih Tzu and they are not known for their intelligence).
Yesterday we were at the park and I was thinking about all the Bella's in the world (both human and canine) and wishing I had had the foresight to name her something else. Then I started thinking that Bella is only one of the names I call her (and she responds to). I have a very long list of pet (ha) names for her. Wanna see it?
Bella
Bells
Hells Bells
Bella Brown Bottom
Bella Brown
Bella B
Chooch
Bug
Little Bug
Little Buggie
Sweets
Sweetie
Stinky
Belly
...
I think that's about it! She likes Bella the best, but if she knows I have a green bean in my hand, she'll respond to just about anything!
We go to the dog park now and then, and there are many dogs named Bella. It's confusing for her sometimes and more than once she has followed the wrong human (though not entirely due to her name as she is also a Shih Tzu and they are not known for their intelligence).
Yesterday we were at the park and I was thinking about all the Bella's in the world (both human and canine) and wishing I had had the foresight to name her something else. Then I started thinking that Bella is only one of the names I call her (and she responds to). I have a very long list of pet (ha) names for her. Wanna see it?
Bella
Bells
Hells Bells
Bella Brown Bottom
Bella Brown
Bella B
Chooch
Bug
Little Bug
Little Buggie
Sweets
Sweetie
Stinky
Belly
...
I think that's about it! She likes Bella the best, but if she knows I have a green bean in my hand, she'll respond to just about anything!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sleep Schedule...so messed up
My husband works nights. Through the last 2 years that he's had this schedule he's always flipped back over to a 'normal' schedule on his days off...going to bed with me and getting up with me (sort of) in the morning.
I'm a morning person, so I've always enjoyed him being on my schedule. When I was off last week, I got all messed up, staying up late and getting up after 9:00 am, this is very unusual for me. I'm a get up around 7:30 whether or not I'm working kind of person. This was hard to break going back to work this week, but I finally got into the swing of things even managing to work out in the morning a couple of times.
This week, on Thursday and Friday nights we stayed up until after 3 a.m. Trust me when I say this is such abnormal behavior for me that even my husband couldn't believe I was still blinking after 3. I tried to get up "early" (around 10) this morning so that I could reset my crazy clock.
I was going to complain about this and then I remembered the past 2 years and what my husband has done going without sleep to match my schedule. Staying up now and then with him so that he can sleep in a long time is probably the least I can do. After all - he works hard and I appreciate all he does for me!
I'm a morning person, so I've always enjoyed him being on my schedule. When I was off last week, I got all messed up, staying up late and getting up after 9:00 am, this is very unusual for me. I'm a get up around 7:30 whether or not I'm working kind of person. This was hard to break going back to work this week, but I finally got into the swing of things even managing to work out in the morning a couple of times.
This week, on Thursday and Friday nights we stayed up until after 3 a.m. Trust me when I say this is such abnormal behavior for me that even my husband couldn't believe I was still blinking after 3. I tried to get up "early" (around 10) this morning so that I could reset my crazy clock.
I was going to complain about this and then I remembered the past 2 years and what my husband has done going without sleep to match my schedule. Staying up now and then with him so that he can sleep in a long time is probably the least I can do. After all - he works hard and I appreciate all he does for me!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thoughts on money
Here's something I've been thinking of - I may offend some people, and that is not my purpose. I don't really know what my purpose is...but it's not to offend.
Today on "America's Court" (what?!?! I had the week off - daytime television is interesting when you're scrubbing the house) a woman was suing her church for $5000 that she gave toward a building project. She wanted it back because she had recently found out that her pastor was performing wedding ceremonies between homosexual couples. She felt that the church was not following the original plan God had for churches and in addition, she thought that this church in particular had drifted from what the original founder's ideology had been. She did not want her money going to support that ideology and only wanted the special project gift back, not her tithes.
I thought her request was reasonable and wondered at why the church didn't just give her the money before it went to court. I mean, seriously, did she go to him, tell him that she was leaving the church and why, and then ask for the money back and he said no?
This got me thinking about an agenda for more money. I think lawyers are behind the push to have marriage between homosexual people made legal.
Among heterosexual couples, the divorce rate is just about 50%, let's assume it is the same among homosexual couples - this gives the divorce lawyers all kinds of new clients for divorce cases. Have you known someone who has gone through a divorce? In many cases (if the couple has any money at all) the lawyer is making some dough.
Let's also consider churches. I believe in the institution of the church and am a regular church goer myself. I am totally aware that churches are full of humans, and mistakes happen, feelings get hurt, sin goes on. And - I think of how much more tithe and giving churches could 'make' if they embrace the homosexual lifestyle and include marriages among those that are officiated. I could see how a humanistic pastor could look at the controversy about homosexual marriage and see dollar signs.
I am sure that there are more ways that this could be a money making opportunity - I just have to think some more. And like I said, I'm off this week, so thinking time is very limited.
Today on "America's Court" (what?!?! I had the week off - daytime television is interesting when you're scrubbing the house) a woman was suing her church for $5000 that she gave toward a building project. She wanted it back because she had recently found out that her pastor was performing wedding ceremonies between homosexual couples. She felt that the church was not following the original plan God had for churches and in addition, she thought that this church in particular had drifted from what the original founder's ideology had been. She did not want her money going to support that ideology and only wanted the special project gift back, not her tithes.
I thought her request was reasonable and wondered at why the church didn't just give her the money before it went to court. I mean, seriously, did she go to him, tell him that she was leaving the church and why, and then ask for the money back and he said no?
This got me thinking about an agenda for more money. I think lawyers are behind the push to have marriage between homosexual people made legal.
Among heterosexual couples, the divorce rate is just about 50%, let's assume it is the same among homosexual couples - this gives the divorce lawyers all kinds of new clients for divorce cases. Have you known someone who has gone through a divorce? In many cases (if the couple has any money at all) the lawyer is making some dough.
Let's also consider churches. I believe in the institution of the church and am a regular church goer myself. I am totally aware that churches are full of humans, and mistakes happen, feelings get hurt, sin goes on. And - I think of how much more tithe and giving churches could 'make' if they embrace the homosexual lifestyle and include marriages among those that are officiated. I could see how a humanistic pastor could look at the controversy about homosexual marriage and see dollar signs.
I am sure that there are more ways that this could be a money making opportunity - I just have to think some more. And like I said, I'm off this week, so thinking time is very limited.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Dump of Long News
As you can tell by how sporadically I write in my blog...not much goes on in our world! :) but that's okay - it's better than having lots of drama (I suppose)!
Let's see, since September what' happened in our lives. We finally finished up (mostly) our energy rebate update and got our first winter bill. We saved $200 over last December, wowzer...we're shaking our heads at why we didn't do this years ago! There's a new boiler, new water heater, insulation in our heated garage (yes, we heated an uninsulated garage), and the crawl space is all sealed up. We'll get on the list soon to have our blow test redone, and hopefully we'll get back most of what we spent to update our house. We are so green.
In October we took a short (and I mean S H O R T) trip down to CO to pick up meat. My uncle is a rancher in NE, and my parents buy beef from him and shared a half with us. It's great meat, and we have a freezer full of love!
In November, we went on vacation. It was a wonderful 2 week cruise to the Caribbean, and I'd do it again next week if I could. YAY! Then we came home to subzero weather...and into the funk that is winter in Alaska. I'm pulling out of the funk, and looking forward to spring. I think spring is coming in more ways than one in our lives, and I'm looking for signs of green. We're planning another trip in April so we have something exciting to look forward to.
I have some exciting projects to do including a bedroom makeover, so maybe I'll post some pictures of that...maybe not. Depending on how good it ends up looking!
Let's see, since September what' happened in our lives. We finally finished up (mostly) our energy rebate update and got our first winter bill. We saved $200 over last December, wowzer...we're shaking our heads at why we didn't do this years ago! There's a new boiler, new water heater, insulation in our heated garage (yes, we heated an uninsulated garage), and the crawl space is all sealed up. We'll get on the list soon to have our blow test redone, and hopefully we'll get back most of what we spent to update our house. We are so green.
In October we took a short (and I mean S H O R T) trip down to CO to pick up meat. My uncle is a rancher in NE, and my parents buy beef from him and shared a half with us. It's great meat, and we have a freezer full of love!
In November, we went on vacation. It was a wonderful 2 week cruise to the Caribbean, and I'd do it again next week if I could. YAY! Then we came home to subzero weather...and into the funk that is winter in Alaska. I'm pulling out of the funk, and looking forward to spring. I think spring is coming in more ways than one in our lives, and I'm looking for signs of green. We're planning another trip in April so we have something exciting to look forward to.
I have some exciting projects to do including a bedroom makeover, so maybe I'll post some pictures of that...maybe not. Depending on how good it ends up looking!
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