Here at Home!

Good to Know....

2010-09-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

I got online tonight to check my email on Yahoo and found an article about "grieving rituals" on my home page. I thought it was interesting. There were examples of various people and the ways they grieve. Some wear their loved ones clothes, some plant gardens, some sleep in the bed in which the loved one slept, others leave their loved one's cell phone in service just to call and get their voicemail and hear their voice. I haven't really found a "ritual"...that sounds so....well....freaky. I guess everyone's grief is different, but sometimes I just need to be reminded that what I feel/think is normal....that it's something everyone else feels under similar circumstance. I had expectations for what it might look like for me and our family, but experiencing it is something altogether different. I'm grateful for the people I've met who have been through the death of a loved one and for their gentle reminders that the hurt doesn't go away, but that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Somehow, because of his concern for our hearts, we are sustained.

It has been amazing to be on the receiving end of the outpouring of love, after having lost mom. There are so many things about her I didn't know....things she did to make others' lives better. I wonder how I missed knowing those things about her. How is it that we (I) get wrapped up in our own lives that we fail to know or see the gifts our loved ones are to others? I'm thankful for those memories of mom that are new to me through the eyes of the people she touched.

I continue to be blessed through this process.....daily.

Off the Grid....Sort of.

2010-06-29T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have been neglectful of my little blog....much has transpired. My new year's resolution has pretty much tanked, although I have kept a steady stream of books at my disposal.

Currently, I'm reading The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Amy Blackburn put me on to the TV series on HBO, and I fell in love. As a result of my enjoyment of the TV show, I decided to start reading the series. The setting is Botswana and the main character is Precious Ramotswe. Precious is a divorced woman whose father dies and leaves her with a large head of cattle. She sells the cattle in order to open a detective agency. The characters in this series are fabulous! Some of her cases are funny and lighthearted and some are quite suspenseful. At any rate, I am truly enjoying the series.

Earlier in the year, I lost my Addy to tick fever and anemia. I had to have her put to sleep. I was with her and it was truly the hardest thing I've ever done. My Adelaide was the truest of companions and I still miss her presence in my life. My brother brought me Lucy, a three year old chocolate lab/Chesapeake Bay Retriever. She has been a natural fit into my life, although in my absence this summer she's been quite a handful for her summer caregivers.

Mom was placed on hospice in March due to the recurrence of her cancer. She was too weak to undergo chemo again, so hospice was the only reasonable option. It has been a very slow decline. We had to move her into a private care home as it was too much for dad to care for her. At this point, she is loosing her short term memory rapidly, very confused at times, and mostly bed fast. It has been difficult to watch the decline. A woman who was once energetic and independent is now reliant on someone for all aspects of her care. She hardly seems like the woman I knew as my mom.

Presently, I am at Camp Blue Haven for the summer working on the ropes course. This has been a blessing in many ways. First, it has allowed me to stay busy and not dwell on the difficulty of mom's situation. Secondly, it has given me the chance to learn, listen to, and serve the Lord. There is no doubt in my mind that he knew I needed every second of this time here. I am blessed by daily prayer time with the other women permanent staff members.....a time to share and bear one another's burdens.

I am also being opened to the possibility of exploring some options for my life I had once fervently pursued.....I guess you might say wanderlust is settling into my bones once again. I don't know what that looks like, I only know that I am praying for the Lord to provide me with opportunities to grow and serve. Ideas are brewing in my brain, but whether those are things I need to pursue remain to be seen.

God is faithful all the time....in the calm and in the storm. It is difficult to praise him in the storm, but I am learning to thank him for the good that will come as a result of it. Thankfully, his patience is unending!

A New Year, A New Resolve

2010-01-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

I got this idea from a friend, so I must give credit where credit is due. That belongs to Haley McDonald. She made the resolution to read a book a week over the year.

I love reading and don't get as much in as I would like. My friend, Stuart McGuiggan, works for a Christian publishing company and reads a new book every 2-3 days! I wish I were disciplined enough to do that!

So, I'm gonna shoot for my 52 books this year! I enjoy mostly novels....mainly fiction. I have read some historical fiction that I enjoy. I'm not much for non-fiction. It has to be nail-biting and gripping non-fiction to keep my attention. So having said that, any suggestions?

I did start Blessed Are the Cheesemakers a few days ago, so I'm counting that as part of this year!

Happy New Year, y'all!

Turkey Trot and Beyond....

2009-11-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Well, my race Thanksgiving was FANTASTIC!!! I had the most fun and felt really good most of the way. I kept telling God that there was no place I would rather be....well except Heaven, that's a given. The last hill almost got me. I had to will myself not to throw up. It got stuck in my throat and I kept telling myself not to throw up, after all my dignity was at stake!!

No medals or great time, I managed to stay within the minute window I was shooting for. Really, all I got was the satisfaction of completing something I set my mind to do several months ago....that's worth a lot!

I registered for the Austin Half tonight. That will be Valentine's Day, a Sunday. My friend, Rachael, offered to go and be my cheer section. Hooray!!!

As I registered there were at least 10 extra things you could order or join, none of which were less than $20. Well I say none, there was one....a $5 donation to keeping Austin "green" and to reduce my carbon emissions from driving there. Why does that surprise me? I mean it is Austin!!! How 'bout we keep Sarah's "green" in her frickin' pocket??!!!! I'm all for increasing our carbon footprint.....doesn't that mean the weather gets warmer and more pleasant?! How do we make that happen faster? WHATEVER AUSTIN!!! I'm gonna run through your streets and stomp on your grass, and throw Gatorade cups in your parks, and I might even chunk a rock at one of your rabid bats!

Ok, I'm done....but I may be back later!

Decision

2009-11-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

I've been putting off committing to this for some time now, just wanting to take things one step at a time and not get too far ahead of myself. Maybe it was the breeze, or the way my muscles, lungs, music, and the weather were all in sync last night as I ran.....but as I ran last night I finally decided it was time to say it. I'm officially training for a half-marathon! EEK!!!

The Wilcoxes are training for the Austin full and told me I should go with them and run the half. It was then that the seed was planted. I immediately wanted to say "Yes!" but was afraid to do so out loud. I just kept telling myself to take it a race at a time.

So there, it's out there....now I HAVE to do it. Please continue to pray for my body, and that somehow God can be glorified in this!

The Wall

2009-09-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well....I think I may have reached it. I am completely frustrated with my running right now. It seems like I have trained and worked and progressed, but at the moment I can't seem to get where I need to be.

Tonight I ran half the distance of what I'm supposed to run in a week and a half, and barely made it. BARELY! I have been running this distance for a good month now, and should be used to it. I just feels like I'm running in tar. I'm sure the heat this evening accounts for part of it, but it just seems like I should be getting farther.

October 10th is the day of my 10k. I'm really nervous that I won't be ready. I don't expect to medal or go particularly fast, I just want to finish and not embarrass myself.

I was just praying tonight while I was running. In this small, insignificant way, I want to push this body God gave me to give him glory. I want to prove to myself that I can do this if I just work hard enough for it.

Utterly frustrated.....in need of prayers.....

First Race

2009-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ran my very first race......well at least since elementary school when we had field day. I was never much of a runner. To be perfectly honest, I was never athletic. I always wanted to be good at tennis, but the whole hand-eye coordination seemed to work against me!

For the past couple of years I have talked about wanting to take up running, but never really did much about it. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that if I don't know what I'm doing I don't really want to do it for fear of looking like a complete loon.

I met an Irish guy at the park one day while I was walking around Tech Terrace. He was riding around the park on his bike encouraging people who were walking/running. Once he spoke I was immediately curious about him because I could tell he was Irish. You don't meet many people from Ireland around here! Jerry explained to me that he belonged to the West Texas Running Club, so I decided to pick his brain about running. He is a marathon runner, and runs mostly to set pace for other people in the running club. He took my email address down and emailed me a running program.

All summer I've been training and making headway. My goal has been the 12K (approx. 7 or so miles) Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. It has been such a fun process, one because I finally decided to put my money where my mouth was, and two it has given me an outlet to clear my head/pray/think etc.

So yesterday I ran a two mile race in Shallowater. The idea was for me to run with one of the other 4th grade teachers, Sandra Spruell. On Thursday, Sandra told me she was going to have to help with registration, but that I could run with her 11 yr old daughter, Lindsey. Well, Lindsey left me eating her dust at the starting line.

It was crazy when they sounded the horn to start the race. Everyone was running like mad, so I started off faster than I would have normally. I ran pretty hard the entire way, but people kept passing me.....like elderly men. When I say elderly, I mean 80+. I was convinced I was bringing up the rear until I got to the halfway turnaround and saw there were still several runners behind me. One guy kept passing me, and then I'd catch up to him as he was walking. Once I passed him, he would start running really hard to pass me. This happened at least four times.

Once I came across the finish line, I didn't wait around to check my stats. I was hoping to make it to ladies bible study so I went ahead and left. Later in the day, Susan Wilcox told me I had around 9 minute miles. My best time in training was around 9:48 min/mile. Then Jerry emailed me to tell me great job, making me think my time had been posted. So I was curious, and decided to check my time on the running club website. My time was 8:58 miles! I had to laugh because I knew old men were passing me and my running partner left me and I started out too fast, and so on. Come to find out I came in 2nd in my age group.....out of four. HA!!! My overall ranking was 112 out of 164.

I guess there is always room for improvement, but I was really happy with my first run ever. I have a 10k/6.2mi run October 10. That should prove to be very challenging. I'm up to about 3 and 1/2 miles in my running plan. So I still have quite a way to go.

Tonight I'm off to run at Tech Terrace. Sundays I run with Jerry, and get coached on form, nutrition, and training. It's great to have the help and encouragement.

So thanks for all the kind words and prayers....keep 'em coming! I surely need all the help I can get.

Conditioning

2009-06-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is my first post from my iPhone, so first off please excuse any misspellings. I am waiting to get my laptop back from bluescreen of death heaven!

Last week I started training for a 5k run. A friend sent me an 18 wk training program and told me to start on wk 10 since I do spin regularly. Now first off, I do not consider myself a runner.....in fact when I run I think about that Friends episode where Phoebe teaches Rachel to run with her arms and legs flailing all over the place.

So I start off with wk 10 last week where you run 7 min, walk 3 min and repeat 4 times. Well, I could do 3 reps of that, but doggone if I couldn't go 4. I emailed my friend and asked if I could back it up a few weeks. He put me on wk 7 where you run 4 min, walk 3 min at 5 reps. Much better!

I am getting ready for camp, so I am doing spin and running to build endurance for the ominous Crest, the hardest, steepest hike Blue Haven has to offer. I have never climbed the Crest in all my years at CBH. When you get to the top you get your picture taken brushing your teeth with.....that's right, Crest toothpaste. It's quite an accomplishment.

Since we have been studying 2 Pet the idea of conditioning has been plaguing my thoughts. Peter talks about adding things to our faith; goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In my mind it is a sort of building block process of conditioning our spirits.

When I was trying to bite off too much with running last week, I didn't get far. I so desparately want to possess those spiritual qualities, but sometimes I wonder if I would be better off focusing on one building block at a time. Paul talks a lot about preparing for the race. You don't just do that by signing up for the marathon without gradually building up to it. This is where my lack of patience waylays me!

So I ask for your prayers, both physically and spiritually, that I can prepare myself for the race and that God will give me the discipline and perseverance it will take to accomplish these things. I know the training doesn't come without pain and doubt, but I've got the best coach getting me ready!

Really?!

2009-04-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Of all the stupid things I've done......

Two days ago, the fuel light came on in my car. I kept thinking I would stop later and fill it up. Well yesterday morning I was running late (story of my life) for work and realized I hadn't filled up like I had intended. I just told myself I would have to just do it later, because I HAD to get to work.

Well, yesterday afternoon I got in the car and was set out for Walmart on the Loop and Quaker. Mind you I work in east Lubbock, but I thought I could make it. It was a little after 4 pm. I get to the interstate to turn south, and right before the 34th St exit my car stalled.

I decided to exit 34th Street and pulled over onto 32nd and what I am pretty sure is Crackville! I wasn't quite sure what to do, afterall I hadn't ran out of gas since high school. I could have gotten out of my car, walked across the access road, under the overpass, and across the other access road. The more I thought about it the more I thought I didn't really want to get out of my car. I was parked in front of a house where about five men were working. Then I thought, "Jane"!

Jane Brock is my sweet friend from work, and since I wasn't too far from Parkway I thought she wouldn't mind coming to my aid. After chasing her down, she told me she was stuck at school and promptly handed the phone to our school counselor, Bill.

Now Bill has always been my hero. He is very fatherly to the kids at school, and also to the teachers. Bill is the epitomy of togetherness, organization, do-the-right-thing, etc. I immediately stammered when I heard him speak. All I could say was, "Uhhhh.....It's ok, I'll get a friend to come get me."

Well, Bill, in his fatherly voice said, "Now Sarah, I can be there before you can call anyone. Just let me come get you and we'll take care of it." Well, you can't tell fatherly types no.

So I waited. The men in front of the house waved, friendly-like. I gave a half wave and looked away as if to say, "Everything's ok!" Maybe if I just don't make eye contact.

Bill showed up shortly after. The wind was picking up and the clouds were rolling in. If I could have crawled under his seat, I would have. He told me he wasn't going to say anything, but if he did it would be something he would tell his daughters. I couldn't even look him in the eye.

He asked me if my car was fuel injected. Really I have no idea. None whatsoever. He told me if it was we might have to get it towed and have a mechanic prime the fuel injector thingies before it would start. GREAT!

He took me to his house to get a gas can, then to fill up the gas can. It started raining while we were getting gas. Once we got back to my car, it was pretty much a downpour. I told Bill that if my dad were there, he wouldn't say anything, but I would know what he was thinking! We got gas in the tank and after a few cranks, it started up! I was as happy as you can get when you are utterly humiliated.

Well, it seems the humiliation was there to stay because when I turned on my windshield wipers.........the driver side wiper wouldn't work! I'm pretty sure I can't ever look Bill in the face again!

So in the midst of the tornado warning, I drove home with one windshield wiper, craning my neck to see out the passenger side, with a couple gallons of gas, and my wounded pride!

Spring Break!

2009-03-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Well I got a little more done on my house over the break. I was determined to get my kitchen painted, and was able to accomplish that task. When I first moved in I painted all but three rooms, one of which was the kitchen.

I had debated over the color for awhile. I wanted to paint it green, but I wasn't sure how it would blend in with my living and dining room. I finally decided I didn't care, went to Home Depot, and bought the color I wanted. I was so pleased with the results. I think you'll like it too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

March 17th happens to be my most favorite day of the year. It is a reminder of my nearly two years of living in Ireland. As you can imagine, Ireland holds a very special place in my heart!

Usually on this day, I am preparing shepards pie, and bread pudding for all my friends. Today, however, my kitchen is out of commission because I am painting it.....green, incidently!

I have so many memories of Ireland; the people, tea and biscuits, rain, fabulous landmarks and landscapes, Rose McGlynn's cooking (you haven't lived til you've had Rose cook for you!), the amazing church I worked with there.

So in honor of this day, I'll leave you an Irish Friendship Blessing:

May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane,
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

I sure wish I was there today! The Irish know how to do up Paddy's day! Instead, I will continue painting my kitchen my favorite color!

My First Love

2009-03-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been shaken to the core by a song or album? I have always enjoyed music of all kinds, from hymns to punk. My first experience like that was the first time I heard a U2 song. It was.....well.....kinda spiritual. It was like I was sucked up into the speakers and actually part of the song.

I've been a follower of their music for many years now, own all the albums, seen them in concert 3 times (twice in Dublin), I've even been to three of the four members' houses (well the outsides anyway). They never cease to have that same effect on me after all this time. Certain songs transport me back to certain times in life, some sad and some exhilarating.

One of the things that impresses me most about U2 is not their music, but their social activism. If you look at every single one of their album covers, you can learn about various social causes they have supported such as poverty, political prisoners, AIDS, malaria, and economic stability in empoverished countries. You can read up more on their cause to end poverty at www.one.org. I also appreciate their non-partisan approach to such social causes.

I once read a book about the band, and learned three of the members were involved in a grassroots Christian church in their early years as a band. They were even baptized in the Irish Sea, not far from where I lived in Dublin. Many of their early songs were actually songs of praise.

So this week they released their latest album, No Line on the Horizon. I have been listening to it non-stop and have been reminded why I love them so much. At the moment, I am totally taken with a song called Magnificent. It's a throwback to their more spiritual roots.

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

The Strangest Thing....

2009-02-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

As I was driving home yesterday afternoon, I noticed that there was a dead cat lying on the corner of the intersection by my house. I think my neighborhood has a hex or something.

And no, I didn't stop to take a picture! (But I was tempted!)

You SO Won't Believe What I Did Today!!!!

2009-02-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

WARNING!!!! GRAPHIC IMAGES!!!! If you are grossed out by dead animals.....DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER.........

OK, but I warned you.........

I came home from church this morning to find a kitty napping in the sun in my front yard. I notice it didn't hear me when I went out to the mailbox. I approached ever so carefully to inspect the poor creature, only to discover it was dead. It was at this point I was wishing I had my dad or another man around to "fix" the problem.

I started to have flashbacks to an incident this summer when my former dog, Bentley, seriously maimed and paralyzed a cat in my backyard.....or so I thought. It was about 2 am and I was awoken by a death howl coming from the back. I went outside to see Bentley with a kitty in his mouth acting like it was his toy. I finally got him away from the cat and put him in the crate. The cat dragged itself toward the fence with it's front paws. There was nothing I could do about it until the morning, anyway, so I went to bed. The next morning I searched the yard, and there was no kitty to be found!

Well back to today......I decide if I just go inside and shut the front door, problem solved. I called dad, who told me I was silly and gave me many options of how to take care of the problem. One of the solutions he gave me was to tie twine around it since I didn't want to touch it and drag it to the dumpster. Ummmmm.....not gonna happen!

I closed the front door and decide to try and forget about the dead kitty in my front yard. Now mind you, our lesson in church was about death.......is this a sign or something?

I am plagued by this dead kitty in the front yard, so I resolutely set out to "take care" of it. When I looked closer at the cat, I noticed it's eyes were half open. I have an Anthropologie box lying around, so I figured I would put it to good use. My plan is to get a shovel, pick up the cat, put it in the box, close the lid, and carry it to the dumpster. Easy enough, right? WRONG! Riggermortis set in and the frickin' cat didn't fit in the box!!! To make matters even worse, it had blood coming out of it's mouth and cat hair in it's paws!!!!

Well, to make a long story short, I "made" the kitty fit in the box, put the box in a trash bag and carted it off to the dumpster. Immediately, I came in and washed my hands even though I never touched the kitty with my hands.

I am now very proud of myself, and can confidently say, "I don't need no stinkin' man!" Hee hee!

Sweet Picture!

2009-01-26T17:35:00.001-08:00

My cousin's wife, Jaymie, posted this picture from Thanksgiving on a blog. It is of my dad and my other cousin's daughter, Saylor. I am pretty sure Saylor is the sweetest little girl I have ever known. She has such a sweet nature and is just so smart.....and of course she is gorgeous!

What I love most is the way dad is holding her hand. I know that grasp, it is gentle and warm. I've sat in his lap and held his hand to enough to know how safe a place that is. I have to admit I haven't outgrown sitting in his lap or holding his hand.

This is my favorite picture of Jesus. When I get overwhelmed....when I can't sleep because the thoughts are running rampant......when my heart hurts.....I imagine Jesus is where dad is, and I am where Saylor is. Just rocking, no words, only the warmth and safety of my Savior holding me close.

A Day of Significance

2009-01-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

We watched the inauguration at school today, and I was most impressed by Rick Warren's invocation. I am posting it below. I prayed today that God would bless Mr. Warren for declaring Him as the one true God, and for not giving in to the pressures of being politically correct.

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.

The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America's peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.

We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.

And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Amen.

I believe God was glorified and honored through this humble prayer. I will remember the significance of this day, not because of who is in office, but who is in control. Lord, may we always remember that!

The Whys Will Make You Crazy!

2008-12-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think in many ways I am my own worst enemy. I have a tendency to think and dwell on things too much. I wish sometimes my mind had an off switch.

I guess by nature I am somewhat anxious. I come by it honestly. I envy people who can just let things roll off their shoulders and trust that everything will work out.

One of the things that has been plaguing my mind is the idea of injustice. What I mean in particular is watching people live the way they want to live without regard for God, and yet they seem to have the things in life they want.

I was reading in Jeremiah 12 last night where he questions God's justice. "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?" My heart and mind cannot reckon this. I completely identify with Jeremiah. It saddens me to watch people prosper who do not live the way God wants us to. I don't mean to sound like I am looking down on people who are not as good as me, because I have my own hangups in my walk with God.

I guess what struck me in looking at Jeremiah is God's response to the whys. He doesn't offer an answer specifically to those questions. Maybe he didn't think he needed to answer whys. I've learned that he rarely, if ever, does. That is his perogative, after all he is God.

I have lots of why questions, and I can make myself CRAZY thinking about them but never find an answer. What I am reminded of are the promises God makes to me about living faithfully.

"Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous." Prov 13:21

"A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble." Prov. 17:20

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Prov 28:13

"A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper." Prov. 29:25

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Heb 10:23

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Heb 10:36

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Heb 11:9

God is faithful to his promises, so I have to trust that he has and will bring about those things in my own life. I guess my problem is the waiting!

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:13-14

I Love My Dad!

2008-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's 70th birthday. It is hard for me to believe. I remember one time when I was younger telling him he had a lot of hair for an old man. That has become our running joke. Every birthday, I call him and he reminds me he still has a lot of hair left.

So in the spirit of celebrating my dad, here are some of my favorite things about him:

Everytime I call him, he is always cheerful and excited to hear from me. I usually get a "HELLO, Sarah Jones!" or a "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?" or a "It's me again, Margaret!"
My dad will go well out of his way to do anything for anyone. He does so cheerfully and selflessly.
Dad always made sure Jason and I were at church and surrounded us with godly people who helped lay the foundation for our faith.
When I was little, mom worked the 7 to 3 shift at the hospital a lot. Dad would get us up, feed us, and would even fix my hair every morning. He was good at it too! I remember one morning when I was little I wanted to wear my jeans backwards and without any objections dad let me. (It wasn't very comfortable!)
In high school we lived across the street from the school. Dad would schedule his lunch around mine and met me at home everyday to make sure I had a good lunch.
I can remember every free moment he had he spent with me and Jason. He took us hunting, sight-seeing, visiting people who lived way out in the country, bouncing down country roads. He didn't let the TV babysit us, he got us out and showed us how to have fun without being lazy or spending a lot of money. We sang a lot on these trips. Our favorite song to sing was 1814 by Johnny Horton. Radio-schmadio, who needs it?!
Dad has the biggest hands. He can fit both of mine in one of his, and they are always warm. I love holding his hand. No matter how old I get, I will never outgrow that!
He worked many many years at a job that was virtually thankless and many times downright miserable to provide for our family and raise us in a small town. He could have moved us to a larger town, worked a job that was more fulfilling and paid more.
I always feel safe in my dad's presence. I can remember once when I was about 5 or younger, our drunk/drug addicted neighbor was shooting his gun off in the street at his wife and baby in the middle of the night. (So much for the safety of a small town, huh?) My mom woke me up and I can remember dad standing by the window with a gun. I don't remember being scared because I always knew dad would keep us safe.
Dad always taught me the importance of taking care of myself. I am sure this is where I get my independence from. I can remember him telling me very often that I needed to be able to provide for myself and not rely on anyone to take care of me.

I could go on and on about my precious dad. I am so thankful God chose him for my daddy. It makes me sad for people who don't have the kind of relationship with their fathers that I have with mine. I truly wish everyone could experience that kind of love. I am just reminded that if my earthly father loves me this much, how much more does my heavenly father love me!

So on his 70th birthday, I will praise and thank my heavenly father for the gift of my dad. I hope he's around many more birthdays! You are my hero, Dad!

Tagged....AGAIN!

2008-12-15T06:04:00.000-08:00

Rules:

1. Post rules on your blog.
2. Answer the six "4" items.
3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.

4 Things I Did Yesterday: Went to church, made soup, hung curtains, hosted a Christmas party

4 Things I Look Forward to: Christmas break, playing Guitar Hero: World Tour with Brad and Paige, sleeping in, and my first Christmas in my house with my family

4 Things On My Wish List: Gift cards from Home Depot, restful break, for God to bless our ladies bible study with answers to our prayers, oh yeah.....and World Peace. ;)

4 Restaurnts I like: Patrizio's, La Madeleine, Mongolian BBQ (in Dublin), California Pizza Kitchen

4 Favorite TV Shows: Lost, 24, Pushing Daisies, and its a tie between Ghost Hunters and The First 48.

4 People I Tag (You're it): Paige, Sherry, Elaine, Leslee

A Very Bad Dog!

2008-12-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

I got home yesterday from Thanksgiving with my friends, Greg, Angie, and Selandra. I started a load of laundry and noticed I had very little water pressure. My first course of action when something goes wrong is to call my dad. He said I needed to call the water company and find out if there were any broken water mains near my house. LP&L sent a serviceman over and he told me I had a water line broken and I would need to call a plumber. I knew this wasn't going to be cheap!

The LP&L man turned off my water supply because I was loosing 25-30 gallons per minute. Having just spent the day on the road I was in need of a shower. Thankfully, Sherry came to my rescue and let me come over to her house and take a very nice, long, hot shower!

This morning I called the plumber. The owner called me and asked me if there was anyway I could put the dogs up so they could work in the back. I found someone to cover my class and drove home to find the plumbers waiting on me. The one who looked like he was in charge told me he thinks he got it all figured out. He said my water faucet in the backyard was on. He said he thought my dogs might have turned it on. Immediately, I knew it wasn't the dogs, but one dog in particular......Bentley!

Thankful for my prayers being answered for a cheap fix, I am now contemplating what to do with this dog who can apparently turn on the faucet. Not only can he turn on the water faucet, but it seems that he is a master escape artist. He has managed to get dig/tear out of the yard three times, two of which, my very good dog has followed him. One of those times I got a call that they were found in Wolfforth.

I adopted him thinking I was being a good pet lover and rescuing a doggie that needs love. What I wound up with is a dog who happens to be a holy terror!

So if you know anyone who lives on the farm and has kids that could wear this dog out, or even if you know some gypsies who need a sideshow, please let me know! He is sweet and good with kids, just very determined. He likes chewing up things and jumping on the trampoline.

Any takers?????

The Cat Lady of London

2008-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

The following is a story my mom wrote a couple of years ago about the cat epidemic at their house. My mom makes me laugh a lot, I think we have similar senses of humor. I am beginning to learn where I get my love for animals. I hope you'll enjoy this and get a good laugh out of it!

The Cat Lady of London

I’VE BEEN THINKING OF HER A LOT LATELY. A few years ago Gerald and I went to see our daughter, Sarah in Ireland. We left with 2 back packs and BritRail passes. We wanted to ride the train through England, Scotland, and Wales before crossing the Irish Sea to Dublin where Sarah was living. We really enjoyed the train because it allowed us to visit with residents of the British Isles. Our first destination out of London was St. Ives, England. On the way back to London, we met The Cat Lady of London, a sweet elderly lady who was on holiday. She worked with an organization in London who rescued homeless cats. Her job was to take in Mama cats with babies and pregnant cats until homes could be found. She lived in a flat in London. I asked how many she had and she was unsure, “but a lot”. She kept them in her extra bedroom. Gerald remembers 100+ but I think it was in the 30s. Her son, an RN who was needing a 3rd kidney transplant was looking after the cats while she was on holiday.
After Mother died , I wanted to get back to the country. I hadn’t lived in the country since I was 17.5 (years, not dress size). I wanted a cat and a dog. We ended up with 2 dogs, but that is another story altogether. We now have a “cat ranch” on our Ranchita. It all started with Miss Kitty, a coal black kitten with pretty green eyes. Our Granddaughter Jaylee gave her to us. Well it wasn’t long before Miss Kitty was a “lady in waiting”. I have assisted with many human births and even pulled a calf once, but I was 60 before I saw a cat give birth. I fixed her a nice box in the garage and watched her closely. I went to check on her and she had this look in her eyes sorta like a woman when birth was imminent. She had 4 kittens. I went to bed and the next morning there were 2 more. Not long after they were weaned, 3 of them disappeared the same day and it wasn’t long before the other 3 were gone. We figured the coyotes got them. Well, Miss Kitty was "in waiting again". This time she had 5 kittens under the porch. We did not even see them until they were weaned. We ended up with 2 toms, "Tom Jones and Lazy Tom" and a female we named Racoon Kitty. So now we had 4 cats, 2 of them female. You guessed it, both Miss Kitty and Racoon Kitty were "in waiting together". It was almost a week before we found Miss Kitty's 5 kittens in our chiminea. I fixed them a nice box in the garage, but it wasn't long before she moved them under the porch. I was able to check them before the move and 4 were females. Jason says you can't ID cats just after birth, but I knew exactly what they were. (He didn't think I could pull a calf either when he was 4). Now we have 9 cats 6 of which are females. Racoon Kitty gave birth but we never found her kittens. One day here she comes with a kitten in her mouth and she deposited it where else but under the porch. She went back to the barn and another fluffy kitten followed her down the hill to join all the other cats under the porch. Our count is up to 11. All the kittens are WILD. Jaylee loves cats and I was trying to tame a couple for her. She and Wes loves to watch the Broadway Play CATS when they come to visit. She named 2 of her favorites, Victoria and Demeter, but we could not catch them. We gave the name McCavity to their brother who had that wild look in his eyes. I named Racoon Kitty's kittens Fluffy and Muffy. Now we have 7 females. If Muffy turns out to be a tom, I guess he can be called Muff. I told Gerald we need to get a handle on this cat deal. Our Ranchita is not big enough for 11 cats. Someone told me you can get cat traps at the Animal Control Center in Amarillo. I picked up a trap and learned the cats were not adoptable because they were wild. The trapping started. I set it up on the porch. All the cats were gathered around eating and Gerald said, "get the pet taxi and I'll get them while they are eating". Well the rodeo started. He caught Victoria and she was screeming and scratching. She ended up in the taxi, but Gerald had blood running down both arms. She was a woman scorned. Pretty soon we caught one in the trap. As we were attempting to transfer her to the pet taxi, Victoria got away because I was't paying attention. Gerald said, " I'll just shoot them". I could not let him do it, so the trapping was left up to me. I trapped 2 and made the trip into Amarillo to AC. Later that evening I trapped "Lazy Tom" a big cold black cat with pretty green eyes like his mother. Just as I was getting the trap out of the back, I heard a comotion in the car beside me. Lazy Tom, started yelling and hissing like I had never heard before. I looked over to the next car and here came 2 HUGE Rotweilers after me and my cat. I hurried through the doors and told the girls at the desk I had to get this cat somewhere before those dogs get in here. She let me step through the door. Tom was still screeming and the biggest Rot was trying to jump over the counter. At that point I thought, " maybe shooting them WAS the better choice". The girls bravely went out and snared the Rots and took them away. I don't know about Tom, but my heart was pounding out of my chest. That evening I set the trap again and heard a comotion outside. Just about bedtime, I had another cat, but it was a stray Tom with a long grey and white coat. Uhm, he looked like he could be the father to Racoon Kitty's 2 kittens. He had no tags, so I took him into Amarillo too. By now I am feeling like an executioner. I have 3 more to go and have Miss Kitty scheduled for surgery next Monday. As soon as Racoon kitty's are weaned, she will also go under the knife. Since we have had cats, there are no rattlesnakes around. Now that is something I CAN shoot.
Gerald asks, "how far is it to the AC in Amarillo". About 20 miles I responded. "So it is 40 miles round trip?" Probably, I said. Then he said, "a 5 cent cartridge would have been a lot cheaper".

My favorite cat story involves my mom trying to nurse an ailing kitty back to health. There was a little tiger kitten that found its way to my parents house one weekend when I was visiting them. She was a sweet little thing, so mom decided to let her stay in the garage. The next morning we woke up to find poor kitty had explosive diarrhea all over the wall of the garage. Of course this thrilled my dad who thinks all animals belong outside!

Later, after church, mom asked me to help her doctor kitty. Mom's cure-all, by the way, is Pepto-Bismol. We were in the garage and mom asked me to go get the little medicine dispenser spoon she had for the grandkids. She said she would wait in the garage for me. I found the spoon and when I returned to the garage I could hardly believe my eyes. There sat my mom with Pepto-Bismol from head to toe, holding kitty, who was no longer orange, but pink. My mom was saying to the cat, "What's the matter, Kitty? It tastes good!" I think I passed out from laughing so hard! I still tease mom about that! It always provides us with a good laugh!

Not About Me!

2008-11-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I had the priviledge of going to the Bebo Norman/Mercy Me concert on Saturday night. I have been a fan of Bebo Norman for a few years now, although I have to admit I was not really familiar with Mercy Me. I have heard and enjoyed their songs on the radio, and knew their name, but never connected the two.

I was really sad that Bebo didn't really get to perform that long. He is just a very simple, and humble guy. I wasn't sure what to expect with Mercy Me. I was so blessed by their part of the concert as well. They are extremely talented and I quickly saw why so many people are attracted to their music.

I think even more than the music, I was blessed by what the lead singer, Bart, had to share with us. He had some amazing insight in general, but there was something in particular he said that stuck with me. He talked about how this life is not about ourselves, but about God receiving glory above anything else. I am paraphrasing, but he talked about how God must be glorified regardless of the circumstances of our lives. Even if it must be uncomfortable or even painful, if God is glorified, that is the way it has to be.

I can remember a dear friend of mine telling me that God doesn't want us happy, he wants us his. That is kind of hard for me to swallow. I know it sounds a bit extreme, but I also understand her intention in that statement. Of course God delights in our happiness, otherwise why would he bless us? However, I do think that our happiness isn't God's number one priority.

I say all of that because I am learning that sometimes God being glorified often comes at the expense of my happiness. When mom was diagnosed with cancer, I thought it was the end of my world. How could I live without my mother? I'm too young to be without her! Looking back now, I see we all had to go through that storm so that needed change would take place in all of us. My mom says cancer was one of the best things that happened to her. I think this is all easier to understand because my mom was healed and is alive.

Ok, I'll stop now because I am rambling. I would like to know if you can relate. If you can't, just lie so I can feel better about myself! ;)

Big Brown Eyes

2008-11-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm such a follower Paige and Sherry! I had to try this! Not sure what it says about me.

1. Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?

Walk Through the Borderland - Lyle Lovett

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?

God Part II … U2

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Medley: Bamboleo, Volare, Djobi Djoba, Pida Me La, Baila Me - Gipsy Kings

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Two - Ryan Adams

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?

Handle with Care - Traveling Wilburys

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Walls - Tom Petty

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

When It Don't Come Easy - Patty Griffin

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

Commerce, TX - Ben Kweller (Sorry, but I had to cheat on this one because the 1st song was not appropriate. Funny, but not appropriate!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Dear John - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

WHAT IS 2+2?

Saint Judas - Natalie Merchant

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Just Like I Am - Landon Pigg

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Hava Nagila - Snatch Soundtrack

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Cover Me - Bebo Norman

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Ride - Old 97s

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Track 09

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Thank You Louise - Ryan Adams

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Up the Devil's Pay - Old 97's

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Either Way - Guster

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Mama Prays - Chris Rice

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Leaving - Indigo Girls

WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?

Revolution 1 - The Beatles

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?

Jealousy - Natalie Merchant

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

Savoy Truffle - The Beatles

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?

All Downhill - Lyle Lovett

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

Big Brown Eyes - Old 97's

I thought I'd also post some pics from my birthday cruise!

Home

2008-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

A little over six months ago, I was praying that God would help me find a house. I was at a place in my life where I had/have a great job, great church family, and was/am surrounded by amazing friends here in Lubbock. I knew this was where I wanted to be.

Someone at church mentioned that I should look at the For Sale by Owner website. Well, pretty soon I found my house. I had a blast getting it situated and making it my own, and enjoyed the contributions my parents and friends made to help me get it where I wanted it.

This weekend my brother and his family planned to come visit me. I was excited to have a place to house all of them. Late Friday afternoon my aunt called and said there were no more hotels available and asked if she and my uncle could stay at my house. I was so excited because I was hoping they would stay with me. My aunt, uncle, brother, sister-in-law, niece, and two nephews all arrived Friday night within five minutes of each other.

We spent the weekend going to see my cousin perform with Best Friends at LCU, eating, talking, and enjoying each other's company. Last night as I prayed, I just thanked God for giving me this home and a place for me to enjoy the people I love. This morning it was awesome to have my brother and his family go to church with me and worship with the church I love so much!

In our Sunday morning kids class that I teach, we have been studying how God takes care of his people. I am reminded everyday how blessed I am by God. I am amazed at how he answers prayer and provides for my every need. He graciously provided me with this house,and I love being able to share it with family and friends.

Please pray that God will help me be a good steward of what he has given me.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Sworn Friendship

2008-10-05T15:09:00.001-07:00

Lately, I have been reading in I and II Samuel. I started reading there because I wanted to study Hannah, and other women that God chose to fulfill his purpose. I got caught up reading about Saul's kingship, and then of course the story of David.

As I have been reading I fell in love with the story of David, and Saul's son, Jonathan. The closeness that the two of them shared is not one you often see between men. The bible says that Jonathan loved David as himself. When Saul promoted David through the ranks of his army, Jonathan stood by David, rather than being jealous of him.

These two friends made an oath to each other. Jonathan promised to stand by David as he faced his enemies, even to the point of putting himself in danger by his own father. David swore that he would show unfailing kindness and never cut off his kindness to Jonathan's family.

The story is tragic, because Jonathan is killed in battle. David was understandably devastated. There is a brief mention of Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, but later in II Sam. David fulfills his oath to show kindness to Jonathan's family. Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet. It says "Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons." David loved his friend so much that he made sure this son was treated as one of his own. No wonder he was considered to be a man after God's heart.

Recently, I have been pondering the friendships God has brought into my life. I call them my heart friends. They are the kind of people who know your biggest flaws, and love you inspite of them. The Lord knows us so well, that he places those people in our lives that just fit us.

There are a few I want to honor and thank for loving me as themselves. Lisa, who is always encouraging me. She is the most devoted and loyal friend anyone could ask for. God brought Elaine into my life to show me the importance of building my house on the foundation of the rock. I have never met a woman so prayerful! There is Jane, who always builds me up and shows me how a woman of God conducts herself. My friend, Paige, is the kind of person who you can spill your guts to and she will never judge and will always hold those things in confidence. Then there is my newest heart friend, Sherry. She has brought so much laughter into my life and shown me how to cling to Jesus, even when it seems easier to let go.

I am amazed at how God shows us his love through our friends. I know I am blessed beyond what I deserve. I thank God for the Jonathan and Davids in my life!

Things I wish I hadn't heard.....

2008-09-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like my whole life I have worked with kids in some form or fashion. They never fail to take me by surprise with the things they say or do. Sometimes it is funny, and then sometimes I think I work on a funny farm. It is always something interesting, though.

I like lists. The movie High Fidelity is one of my most favorite movies, because John Cusack's character is always coming up with his top 5 of everything. So in the spirit of lists, I have decided to compile a list of things I wish I hadn't heard and/or seen. Some names have been changed to protect the not so innocent! If you have a weak stomach you might want to stop reading!

"Miss Floyd! Tommy is sucking his toes!"

"Miss Floyd! Tommy just tried to lick my ear!"

"Miss Floyd! I need to *insert puking noise here*!"

"Miss Floyd! I need a tissue *insert image of a child stringing snot from his hands and nose to the tissue box*!"

"Miss Floyd! My ponytail just came off! Can you put it back on?"

"Miss Floyd! When Johnny threw up on the table, some splattered on my shirt!"

"Miss Floyd! Suzy just peed in the sink of the girl's bathroom!" (I only WISH I were joking!)

"Miss Floyd! Someone wrote about you in the bathroom in red permanent marker!" (And it wasn't "Miss Floyd's my favorite teacher!")

"Miss Floyd! You sure have put on weight!"

But then there are those things you hear that just melt your heart!

"Miss Floyd, you're hair smells really good!"

"Miss Floyd, you are SO skinny!"

"Miss Floyd, can I hold your hand?"

"Miss Floyd, can you teach 5th grade so I can have you again?"

"Miss Sarah, I was one point away from commended on my reading TAKS!" (Matthew, my friend Elaine's son, after years of struggling in reading.)

"Miss Sa - wah, I need a hug!" (Sweet little Noah, Matthew's little brother.)

"Tay-uh, Tay-uh!" (Little Noni Gearhart trying to say my name as she runs to hug me!)

"Aunt Sarah, you're my favorite!" (My nephew, Kolin, 3)

So I guess when working with children, and loving children, you have to take the good with the not so good. I don't think I'd trade it for anything! Well.......maybe some Calgon and a bottle of Advil!

......just cuz!

2008-09-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

There are moments that I find myself doing things or saying things just because my parents did them that way. It's like that story about the woman who cut the ends off the roast before she put it in the pan. When she was asked about it she said she did it because her mother did it that way. Then her mother was asked why she had done that same thing, and she had the same reply. Come to find out the grandmother cut the ends off the roast because she didn't have a pan big enough for it to fit in.

When I make a bed I always tuck the corners a certain way. It was never a thought to me, it was just the way mom did it. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized we did that because mom was a nurse, and it was called a hospital corner. I just thought that everyone made their beds that way.

I have a very particular way to fold towels. One time an old roommate pointed it out to me. I hadn't thought about it before, but that's how mom folds towels.

I'm thrown off when I let someone borrow my toothpaste and they put a big thumbprint in the middle of the tube. That is a nuance I picked up from my dad.

The last time my mom was in town we had been out and about and I was backing into my garage. My mom asked me why I did that and before I could answer she said "Because you're Gerald Floyd's daughter." Actually it is because my bike is hanging where the driver's side door would open if I drove in forward.......and I am Gerald Floyd's daughter.

So what things have you picked up from your parents that are just second nature?

House pics!

2008-08-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Dining Room

Living Room

My Green Grass Master Bath

Addy in the Living Room as if she's always belonged!

The Sunshine Master Bedroom

Brad, Kelly, and Paige working on my fence! Aren't they sweet!

Tanner and Brad working hard!

So my house is really coming together. I am really blessed to have amazing family and friends who have been so willing to make this happen for me. Yesterday at church we sang God Has Smiled on Me. It is hard for me to think about that without tearing up. God truly has blessed me with this house!

Here's Your Stupid Sign, Sarah!

2008-07-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was working my tail off in my yard. I cleaned out flowerbeds and bought some new stuff to plant. I cleaned so much stuff out of them that I cannot lift the trash barrel I dumped it all in, and it is still sitting out by the street.

So needless to say, I was one ripe girl! I was so excited about taking a shower and washing all the grime off of me. Well, when I got in the shower, I noticed the water wasn't getting hot. I was desperate, so I just took a very COLD shower. I was praying, "Lord, please let this be a cheap fix! Home Depot already has all my money!"

Once I get out of the shower, I call my handy man extraordinaire, Jeff Gearhart. He, Amy, and the kids came over last night to assess the situation. He tried to light the pilot, but it just wouldn't light. We were talking about all of the things that could be wrong, when Jeff asked "Have you paid your gas bill?" I said no because I hadn't gotten one. Then he asked "Did you ever have the gas turned on?" It was then that it dawned on me that I didn't even realize I had gas, and no I hadn't had it switched over in my name. Jeff went out to the alley to check the meter and said there was a lock on it.

So for the past month, I have been living off of the previous owners' gas. It seems like I remember talking to them about what their expenses ran and I vaguely remember them mentioning gas.

I called Atmos last night and put in a request for the gas to be turned on. The man came over today and turned it on and lit the pilot. The hot water has returned!

Sigh! Thank you Lord for making this an easy/inexpensive fix! Sometimes I wonder where I leave my brain! If you find it, can you please return it to me?!?

My Very Own Home!

2008-07-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I am in my new house, but far from settled in. It is a lot more work than I ever expected. I thought I was just going to have to repaint a few rooms, but I am finding that every room in the house needs a fresh coat of paint. One of the most annoying things is that all the baseboards are painted the same color as the walls. I am finding places on the ceiling where it wasn't taped off and there are paint streaks on the sides of mirrors, showers, tile, doorframes, etc. How hard is it to tape things off? Oh well, it keeps me busy!

I have painted my dining room, and living room. I am taking a break from the hallway painting at the moment. Home Depot has given me a frequent buyer card and have made me a shareholder in the company because of how often I have been there! They are getting my life savings it seems like.

I have taken pictures, but cannot find the plug to connect my camera to my computer. So unfortunately, I have nothing visual to give you. I guess that just means you'll have to come visit me! And if you do, wear your paint clothes, because I'll put you to work!

Our Eyes are Upon You

2008-06-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I should be packing. I had a really productive day yesterday, doesn't that count for something? Actually, I was catching up on some friend's blogs, and was reminded of the theme of God battling on our behalf.

A friend, Barry, had posted about Exodus 14 where Moses tells the Israelites God has the battle and they will only need to be still. Several of my friends are facing giants in battle here recently, so this has been at the forefront of my little brain. Obviously, packing has not!

One of my favorite battle stories from the Old Testament (II Chron. 20) is when Jehoshaphat is facing what seems like certain destruction by the Moabites, and fellow unpronounceable evil-doers. King Jehoshaphat is told that a vast army is coming and basically has him surrounded. These guys sound like some bad dudes!

Jehoshaphat proclaims a fast for all of Judah and goes before the assembly and prays an amazing prayer. v 12 "For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

I've not known what it is like to face vast armies, who are hell-bent on my destruction, or even come close to facing the struggles of many of my friends. I have prayed that very prayer, though. "Lord, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you."

The good news is that God is always victorious. The rest of the story tells about a man in the assembly being struck by the Spirit and declared that the battle wasn't theirs, but God's (Where have we heard that before?). He told them they would not have to fight, but sit back and watch the deliverance of the Lord. The coolest part is where the armies of the bad dudes, having them basically surrounded, started turning on each other and completely annihilated each other. Jehoshaphat gets there and sees nothing but dead bodies. Can you imagine? It took Jehoshaphat and his men THREE days to carry off all the loot.

v 19-20 "The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side."

That's the kind of protection I want, and there is only one source for it.

School's Out - Right On!

2008-05-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

It seems like the last couple of weeks have dragged out. I think I have been anxious for this summer mainly because I am ready to get into my new house! Less than a month to go! Eeek!

Yesterday I went to my brother's house in Dalhart to hang out with them. I don't get to see my niece, Jaylee, and nephews, Wes and Kolin as often as I would like. They are a blast, and always make me feel loved!

While I was there I went to a dog shelter and found a new Golden Retriever that I am adopting. His name is Bentley, and he is not quite a year old. He is a sweet guy and I think he'll make a nice addition to my little family. Addy got to meet him too, just to see how they would get along. She seemed a little indifferent to him. I thought it would be a good idea to adopt around the time we move so Addy didn't have time to establish her territory. I'd prefer to not have a repeat of when my mom's dog was here.

So as it is, they will keep Bentley for me and have him neutered and all his shots up to date. He is going to need a lot of work because he isn't leash broken, and maybe not house broken either. I'll have a lot of time this summer to help him transition into his new home.

My brother, Jason, set up the tent in their backyard. The kids and I got to sleep in it last night. I actually slept better than I thought I would. Addy, and Abby (mom's dog) kept trying to get in the tent with us. Mind you it is a 2-3 person tent, and we were already at maximum capacity. I got to the point where I was just too tired to chase them out, so Abby slept over on Jaylee, and Addy slept tangled up around my legs. I guess it is no wonder why I was tired all day!

Nonetheless, we all had fun riding bikes, camping out, playing with the dogs, and watchin' movies. I am really thankful that God has blessed me with such good family, particularly the youngest Floyds!

Sweet Bentley!

Jaylee, Kolin, Wes, and I snugglin' in the tent!

Brothers, Kolin and Wes

Kolin taking me and Wes' picture

Wes trying out his mad photography skills on me and Kolin!

People Who Inspire Me - The Santos Boys

2008-05-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

I have talked a lot about my friend, Elaine Santos, as well as her sweet boys. I really want to tell you all about how special these three boys are to me.

Mark is the oldest, and is finishing 6th grade at Hutch. Mark is one of those kids who is so smart and excels at everything he sets his mind to. He is a kind, thoughtful, outgoing 12 year old. Elaine says he is a carbon copy of his dad, Chris. In my estimation, it doesn't get much better than that. His dad is a wonderful, godly man. Mark is following suite.

Matthew...ah precious Matthew. We have been working together on his reading for the past couple of years and he has grown leaps and bounds. I have never known a child more willing to work for something that doesn't come easy to him. Matthew has been such an encouragement to me over these past years. He has worked so hard for me, through his own frustration and tears. Matthew has the most amazing manners. When I introduced him to Sherry, he told her "I am very pleased to meet you." The thing with Matthew is that is just who he is, genuine. At a time when he was so frustrated with reading, I would say to him "We don't have time for the tears, we just have to press on." He would just say "Yes, ma'am." and trudge on like a soldier! And just to brag on him a little more, he made straight A's all year in every subject. Hard little worker bee!

Noah, is the youngest in the Santos clan. He is the most lovable child. My favorite Noah quote is "Miss Sarah, I need a hug!" Noah is so cuddly and loving. He loves unconditionally. Sweet Noah never complains, only focuses on the positive. This is amazing considering that he has had some medical hurdles in his short six years. Noah has eczema and his mom told me the most amazing story. One night on the way home from church, Noah proclaimed that even if God didn't take away his eczema he would still obey Him. If that doesn't warm your heart, well, I don't know what will.

I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with the Santos boys at the soccer fields today. I have to say, I don't think I feel more loved than when I am around those three amazing children!

I only hope that in my life I can have Mark's cheerful, outgoing spirit, Matthew's never quit attitude and genuineness, and Noah's ability to love and obey unconditionally. These three young men have set an amazing example of how a Christian should conduct themselves. God has BIG plans for each one of them and I can't wait to watch it all unveil.

I am blessed to have them all in my life!

A Home of My Own

2008-05-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like I have found myself a house! I have been looking for a while, and it has been kind of discouraging here lately. I don't have the stomach for making large purchases. Shoes, yes. Houses, no.

On Sunday at church, we had been talking about asking God for what we want. I said I wanted to find a house. After church, one of the men there came up to me and suggested that I look on the Lubbock for sale by owner website. On Monday, I found the house.

I am becoming more and more of a believer in asking God specifically for what I want. He spoke to the blind men in Matthew 20 and asked them what they wanted. They didn't waste any time telling him they wanted their sight. They got exactly what they wanted. They had faith enough to know that Jesus could give them what they requested of him.

We won't close on the house until the end of June, so it won't be mine for another month or two. It already feels like mine, though.

I have put off buying a house for a few years thinking that Lubbock wasn't where I wanted to settle down. Once I got back from my trip last year, I came to realize more and more that I absolutely want to be here. I am close to my family, love my job, have AMAZING friends, and finally feel like I BELONG to a group of believers here.

This is all exciting and frightening at the same time. I told my dad the other night that I didn't like being head of household, at least not for this! The people I am purchasing the house from are the kindest couple. They have been so flexible through the process.

So, I guess this makes me a grown up now....YIKES!!!!

In the Dog House!

2008-04-16T14:46:00.000-07:00

Addy and Abby, two not so innocent canines!

My mom left her dog, Abby, with me while she went to help take care of a friend who just had surgery. Abby is a very well behaved white schnauzer. She and my dog, Addy, are about the same age (Addy's a little older).

I have had them both for a week now, and I am ready to sell them to the gypsies. It isn't really Abby. For the most part, she has done well. It is Addy, who is about to see her own demise. She is extremely jealous of Abby. So much so that one day I had taken her out to potty first. Next I took Abby out to potty and came in to find where Addy had left a few little presents behind my dining room table. Mind you she had just relieved herself not moments before. It was as if she was mad enough to show me, but not really in plain sight. This has happened at least twice more, and now Abby thinks that is where she is supposed to go potty!

I came home last night to find a frickin' lake behind the dining room table, as well as a few other presents both of them decided to leave me. I was furious! They both could tell, and didn't move for about an hour. Neither of them even begged when I was eating dinner in front of them!

So, if you know of any gypsies who might like to buy these two hellions, please give them my number!

People Who Inspire Me - Elaine Santos

2008-04-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking for a while about how I wanted to highlight some very special people on my blog, and how they have inspired/encouraged/blessed me. I'm pretty sure I know the best people there are to know. This past year has really reminded me how cool it is to know them.

The first person, I want to thank for inspiring me is Elaine Santos. At the beginning of our friendship I didn't realize what a catch of a friend the Lord gave me.

Elaine is the mother of the three sweetest, most behaved, polite boys I have ever met. The middle son, Matthew was a student I started tutoring two years ago. He is a delight to my heart. He is a carbon copy of his mama. Matthew and Elaine love unconditionally.

What I love most about Elaine is her loyalty. She is extremely loyal to the Lord, and her family. You would have to look hard to find a more loyal friend. Elaine is the most prayerful person I have ever met. God listens to her, and he listens to her three boys.

Elaine exemplifies the Prov. 30 woman. Blessed are all who can call her friend!

Thank you for taking care of me, Elaine!

Elaine and sweet Noah!

Matthew and me

Thank God for Good Friends!

2008-03-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post some pics of a few of my favorite people from this past weekend. I have been reminded of how blessed I am to have these people in my life. My life would be dull indeed, without them!

Lisa, Paige, Dennis, and way over yonder....Sherry!

Me and my Shawn Lewis, he's probably in my top 5 favorite guys....right up there with the Wiisterbunny, the Spurgeonator, Steve McGee, and Jeff Gearhart! Shawn is one of my Blue Haven peeps!

Jeff Gearhart and Shawn Lewis being dorks!

Noni,the heart breaker!

Abby Gearhart, she is always glad to see me & makes me feel good about myself!

Cooper, my boyfriend! I heart him!

Amy G and Cooper! Love, love, love them!

Nothing interesting....

2008-02-23T08:07:00.000-08:00

Life is pretty dull right now, nothing new or interesting...

I do wish it was summer and lake season...

I am weary of being sick....

There...happy, Barry! ;)

Silly Kids!

2008-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

The other morning I woke up extremely late, 7:15. I am supposed to be there by 7:30, but unfortunately my alarm didn't go off. I usually make coffee in the morning and take some to work with me. Not on this day. My first math class came in and I mentioned to them that I hadn't had any coffee. You could hear a pin drop.

After the initial shock, there was a gasp. One of the boys said, "Miss Floyd, can I use the phone?" I asked him why and he replied, "Because I wanna call my mama and tell her goodbye!"

I did get some coffee, and the world was safe from anniliation. Needless to say, the children were relieved.

How to Save a Dog's Life!

2008-01-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

About a week or so, I came home to a shocking scene. I had a candy dish on my coffee table that was full of chocolate. Mind you it had been there for a few days, undisturbed. I noticed on the floor all the chocolate wrappers all over the living room floor. I looked up to see the candy dish was empty. Only one culprit, Addy, my six-year old Golden Retriever.

She seemed fine, but I knew chocolate could be deadly to dogs. It was around 8 or 9 on a Sunday, so I knew I couldn't take her to the vet. I called the animal emergency clinic, knowing what they would tell me. The vet there told me to give her some peroxide and make her throw up.

I grabbed the $0.33 bottle of peroxide and proceeded to try to force it down her throat, which of course she was not going to have it. So I thought I'd just see if she'd lap it. To my surprise, she lapped right out of the measuring spoon. Presto, within 5 minutes, problem solved.......all over the kitchen rug.

So Addy is a survivor! It just goes to show that my dog, will truly eat anything!

The Evidence

Little Miss Innocent

The Solution

Aren't you glad I spared you the aftermath pic?

A Good Day!

2008-01-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Even though this has been the last day of break for me, and I have been dreading going back to work, it has been a great day!

I got a call from Jeff Gearhart this morning and I was able to talk him into bringing the fam to meet us for lunch after church. I love the Gearharts, Jeff and Amy. I am IN love with their precious kids. If you haven't had the pleasure of their company, it would be worth your time. The whole family is a delight!!!

I went to workout this afternoon, and went back to their new house. I got to be in charge of playing with the kids while Jeff and Amy worked on the house. We put Cooper's Hot Wheels Construction Rig together, and colored in the big Barbie coloring book with Noelle (Noni) and Abby.

Sigh, a good day indeed!

Abby, Cooper, me, and Noni (check out her cutie little smirk!)

Gifts!

2007-12-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a very impromptu bible study with some friends. The topic was Gifts of the New Testament. I thought it was very fitting, considering that we are in the gift giving season. The main gift we talked about was the Holy Spirit.

We started out in Romans 6:23 and read about the gift of God being eternal life. From there we went to Romans 6:3-4 and read how we receive this new life through baptism.

In Acts 2:38 we read that we obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism. Acts 5:32 talks about how the gift is the Spirit himself, who intercedes on our behalf (Rom 8:26). We talked about what an intercessor does. It is humbling to know God gives us a gift that speaks on our behalf even when we don't know what our hearts want to say.

Then in I Corinthians 12:4-11 we read how not only is the Holy Spirit himself a gift, but he also is a spiritual gift giver. Paul talks about how the Spirit gives us an inheritance in God's kingdom (Gal. 4:6-7). Gal 3:26-27 speaks of how we become sons of God when we are baptized, and as a result (Eph 1:13-14) we are marked with a seal and that the Spirit is our deposit protecting our inheritance. That seal shows that we are authentically God's.

In a season where I love to give gifts, I am learning that there is no gift greater than that which God has given me. I will never be as thoughtful in my gift-giving as He is.

**Sherry, this one's for you!!! And we didn't have any fun. We sat around with pouty faces talking about how it is no fun without you!

Thank Goodness for Christmas Break!

2007-12-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

My friend, Paige, wrote on her blog about the Bah Humbugs. I seem to have caught them myself. Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful for the break. I am just not into Christmas this year like I usually am. I generally buy a real tree, and go all out, but this year I couldn't bring myself to do so. Friends and family are going to be lucky if they're presents are even wrapped this year!

My aunt Susan sent me a homemade, Montana, spruce swag. I have it on my door, but that is the extent of my Christmas decorating. It is beautiful and it is cheery on my door.

It is odd though, I have talked to some of my friends and they have kind of have the same Christmas blahs as I do. I wonder if its something in the water.

I am really excited about going skiing next week through New Years. I have some friends who have a cabin in Angel Fire and several of us are going for a few days. It should be a fun time! I called my friend, Julie, whose cabin we are going to. We were talking about food and what to cook and what to bring. She said I could just bring the stuff and cook it there. I was thinking "Uhhh, I'm gonna be on the slopes from the time they open til they close everyday we are there!" Of course I'll be glad to cook before I get there, but I intend to be skiing & sleeping!

Ok, I'll stop rambling. I would like to know some of your best christmas memories/traditions. My fondest memories include sleeping under the Christmas tree at my grandparents' house in Muleshoe. So do share!

Evil Eye

2007-12-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is the cutest baby I have ever seen! I love people who don't take themselves too seriously!

More Tina!!!

2007-12-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

Actually I think her name is Christina. Anyway, she's back with a High School Musical favorite.

Oh Yeah! Tina's Back!

2007-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Tina's back with some new material. We love you, Tina! You'll wanna watch this one all the way through!

Dang It, Tina!

2007-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

I guess Tina has decided to go private with her videos. So much for my blog series! Now I feel like I can say it. Tina, we all laughed at you. However, we are all good people! Go with God!

15 minutes

2007-11-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

I love how everyone is trying to get their 15 minutes of fame via various channels. YouTube happens to be one that I get a lot of enjoyment out of watching people trying to realize those dreams. So without further adieu I present my new blogging series dedicated to a young girl named Tina. Does she have staying power? I sure hope so! Move over Boy George!!

I LOVE Being an Aunt!!!!

2007-11-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

The past couple of days, I had the good fortune to spend with my niece, Jaylee in Dalhart, TX. My brother and his wife had to go out of town, and Monday was Jaylee's 10th birthday. So, I decided I would go hang out with her for a couple of days.

I made strawberry cupcakes, which I enjoyed way too much! Later that evening, I told Jaylee to pick what she wanted to do for supper. She said she wanted to go to Rickie's. I agreed and so we got all dolled up and went to Rickie's. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. When we arrived, I soon realized that Rickie's was a "sport's bar". . .only from Roadhouse. I quickly asked Jaylee if her parents had brought her there before, thinking my brother and sister-in-law would never allow me to take care of the kids again if they found out I took her to a sports bar for her birthday. Jaylee replied "Oh yeah, like four times!" So I guessed we were safe, although out of place since we were all dolled up! I thought it might not be as "sport's bar-ish" during the day when her mom and dad might take them there to eat.

We enjoyed the evening, nonetheless. It was fun for just the two of us to hang out, and the food was really good.

My nephews, Wes (5) and Kolin (3), had been staying with some family in Friona, but came home with Jyl today. She is a family friend, and she was taking over the child-care duties since I had to return home.

I was glad to see Wes and Kolin. Wes had a birthday in Oct. and Kolin's is this Friday, so I brought them their birthday gifts. I found some crazy glasses at the dollar store that I thought they would appreciate. When Kolin opened his present, you would have thought I got him a pure gold train set. He was totally thrilled. It was the best reaction I've ever received from a gift I gave.

Later we all went to Jaylee's gymnastics practice. On the way in the door, Kolin said to me "I like you, Sarah!" to which I replied "I like you, too, Kolin!" It is nice to be liked by your nephew! The boys wanted to show off their tumbling talents while Jaylee practiced. Kolin was convinced that his sommersault was a flip and he wanted to make sure I knew about it.

So here are the pics from all this family fun. I am so proud to be aunt to these amazing kiddos! They truly bless my life!

Birthday Girl

Enjoyin' a cupcake!

Birthday Dinner

Kolin's silly glasses

Wes's extreme close-up!

Oops! I Got Tagged!

2007-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Paige, "tagged" me. I guess I have to play along!

Rules:

1)Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2) People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3) At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4) Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here it goes:

1. I would buy anything that was advertised on an info-mercial. I am the biggest skeptic, but if it is advertised on TV I seem to need it!

2. I could swing my life away in a hammock. I've been trying to figure out how to support myself by selling hammocks while demonstrating how they work. Any ideas?

3. Growing up, weekends were extra special because it meant an outing with dad. We had an old, powder blue Scout with cream and tan interior. My dad, brother, and I would bounce around in it and sing 1814 (I think that is the name) by Johnny Horton. "1814 we took a little trip, down the Col. Jackson to the might Mississip. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans, and we fought the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. . ." Most of the time we would drive out around the county with no particular agenda. Dad would pack us a lunch. Good times!

4. Speaking of dad, I love to hold his hand. My dad has huge hands and he can hold both of mine in one of his. His hands are always warm, and mine are usually cold.

5. I learned a stupid human trick at Blue Haven. I can turn my ankles completely around to where my heels touch the ground in front of me. Gross really!

6. My grandmother is 1st cousins with Sheb Wooley, who wrote and sang Purple People Eater. His brother Bill lives in Ruidoso. I went snow skiing with Bill, mind you he was well into his seventies. We would ski some blacks and he would be at the end of the run waiting for me! That was almost 15 years ago and he is still skiing!

7. I went to a Black Crowes concert with my high school principal my senior year. He was dating my boss at the time and they got me the tickets for graduation!

8. I can't donate blood for life because I lived in Ireland during the mad cow scare. So just in case you wondered, there is a reason I am this way!

So now I tag Tim Rush, Elaine Santos, Timbra Wiist, Sydney Phillips, Gayla Bursiaga, and Claire Maguire-Wilson. I think my other blogger friends have been tagged.

Blessed

2007-10-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

I guess I have always considered myself to be fortunate to be loved by the people who love me. However, I often take them for granted.

This past weekend was humbling because God expressed his love to me through some amazing people, who I am blessed to call my friends. It seemed to be the icing on the cake of blessing after a rough summer.

Friday was my birthday, and I got to spend the evening with friends. Some were friends I have known for years, others just a short time. Nonetheless, I felt cared for and loved by all. Lisa, Paige, and Sherry, you guys are amazing women and I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am for your friendship. Thank you for your kind words and the way you care for me. I hope I can be the kind of friend to you that you all have been to me!

I was very humbled by church on Sunday. I was surprised by Rex opening the floor for folks to say some really kind things about me. I am so thankful God led me there, and has made a place for me in this church. The things everyone said humbled me and helped me to realize just how much God loves me through my friends.

So I just want to say a big THANKS to all of you who love me and for making my birthday the best yet!

Things I Wouldn't Wanna Be. . .

2007-10-14T19:49:00.001-07:00

Warning! The inane post below doesn't contain any pearls of wisdom, spiritual or otherwise. It is merely for my own amusement.

Things I wouldn't want to be seems to be an ongoing conversation my friend, Lisa, and I have. When you have been friends with someone as long as Lisa and I have been, you have to get creative with the conversation topics because you just know each other too well. So, needless to say, we have some serious, thought provoking dialogue!

This started out with me thinking of jobs I wouldn't want to have. Meat packing worker, truck driver, convenience store bathroom cleaner, sanitation worker, etc. Then it evolved into a conversation of what I wouldn't want to be.

So here is a running list to date:

Q-Tip
Toilet plunger/brush/paper (or anything else having to do with the toilet)
Lint trap
Nose/Ear hair trimmers
Garbage Disposal
The floor behind my dryer
Dumpster
Port-a-potty
The bottom of a shoe
A flyswatter
Foot file
iPod earbuds
Flip-flops
Drain pipe
Band-Aid
Toothbrush
Kleenix

Well, that is all I can come up with at the moment. What are some things YOU wouldn't want to be. ***Tim Rush, feel free to make your own list here. I had you in mind when I was doing this post!

BTW, Mom is doing MUCH better! She may go home from the hospital tomorrow. Please continue to pray for her healing!

More on Mom

2007-10-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Dad called this evening and said that the pathology report came back, and there is no sign of the cancer returning!!!!! We found out she does have an infection. She is still completely confused. The doctor thinks it is caused by the infection. She is now on some antibiotics for that. We have been really concerned about her confusion.

So please continue to pray that she will return to the land of the clear headed soon!

A Brief Update

2007-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

I am at my parents' house, taking a break to clean up. My mom has been in the hospital since this past Tuesday for a bowel obstruction. They believe it was either caused by adhesions that were chemo or surgery related. Mom had surgery two years ago to remove the cancer from her abdomen caused by ovarian cancer.

Yesterday the doctor decided to correct the bowel obstruction with surgery. He removed about a foot of her small intestine. Apparently this is fairly common in ovarian cancer patients. So far he said there was no visible evidence of the cancer returning. They are sending some fluid they collected to pathology.

She had a pretty rough night last night with pain, and confusion from the medicine they are giving her. We didn't sleep much, so I am hoping today and the following days will only get better. She is expected to stay another week in the hospital.

Please pray for her to have a quick recovery, and that they don't find any cancer cells in the liquid they are testing!

Oh, Sweet Laborless Day!

2007-09-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

I am really glad that school started the week before Labor Day. It was a nice way to recoop from a very busy week at Parkway. I am still teaching 4th grade, but fortunately, I am specializing in Math and Science! I have been wanting to only teach Math and Science for some time now. We were able to work our schedules where my team teacher, Kristen, teaches Reading and Writing. So we have two really sweet classes of kiddos. I am really enjoying them and have been able to do some fun things with them that we haven't had time for until this year.

It was funny because one day last week we were doing group research projects on the continents. One of my kids said "I don't want to go home!" Then the rest of them chimed in that they were having too much fun to go home. I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn't stepped into the Twilight Zone.

I drove home on Saturday to see my parents. My nephew, Wes (4), was staying with my parents for a few days. He is truly the wittiest child I have ever come across! Lisa was with me. As we were driving into town to eat, Wes told Lisa she was the funniest girl he knew. At dinner I was singing along with the Violent Femmes song (Gone Daddy Gone) playing in the restaurant. He told me I was freaking him out. Good to know that I can freak a four-year-old out! He also told Lisa if she said something one more time he was going to have to "freak" her. I don't think she pressed the issue to see what he meant by that! I think he has discovered that he is funny. Before he would just say things with a deadpan affect. Now he's kinda into his own humor.

Me and Wes

Wes' surprised look

Wes' attempt at picture taking

Better attempt with Lisa

One eyebrow raising trick

Camping Trip!

2007-08-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went camping at the lake with some friends. We camped at a great location where we could park the boat right up next to our camp.

I was actually able to make it out of the water on the wakeboard, and managed to "carve" back and forth between the wake of the boat. I was so excited since I have absolutely no athletic ability! I had several good runs, but it is really tiring. I think you use every muscle in your body. I am sore all over today, but it was well worth it!

Mel and Steve

Steve catching some air!

Brad stylin' Mel's shades

Sunset over Lake Alan Henry

Me actually wakeboarding on top of the water!

Ah, the Lake!

2007-08-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have been spending a lot of time lately at Lake Alan Henry with some friends. It has been awesome! Growing up we weren't really lake people. We spent most of our time in the mountains. I am definitely learning to be a lake person!

This last weekend we went and everyone was trying to teach me how to wakeboard. I thought, it can't be that hard everyone else knows how to do it. Oh, how wrong I was. I never even made it out of the water. I kept following the advice everyone was giving me from the boat, but everytime I ended up face first being dragged by the rope, until I couldn't hold on any longer. My friend Mel was going to get some pictures, but never did as I never got out of the water.

We are going camping there this weekend, so maybe I can try my luck again. Another friend told me he was going to send me home with a video to watch, so I could try and get the hang of it before we go again. I really want to learn, but I am just as content laying in the boat, soaking up the sun!

Trip Pictures As Promised

2007-08-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

I am at my mom and dad's now for a couple of days. Dad called to ask when I was coming home, and so I decided I'd better do it before school starts.

Today I went with him to the world famous Amarillo Livestock Auction. When I say world famous, I am not being sarcastic! We sat next to some people from Italy, and saw some people from Germany. Several people were there with their video cameras in tow. The Amarillo Livestock Auction is the largest in the U.S. Dad goes to the sale there every Tuesday.

I always went where my dad went when I was growing up, so this was really nostalgic for me. It has been an eon since I have been to a sale, so I had to relearn some things. I was a little nervous about scratching my nose for fear of having to make room for some cattle in the back of my little Toyota Rav 4, in addition to Addy who came with me. After the sale we loaded up the cattle dad bought and took them over to Dimmit. Dad promised me we would stop for ice cream somewhere along the road, but when it got to be about 7:30 I gave up and wanted to just eat something. It seems like I should know, when you go with dad, you can add about 4 hours to the trip. No ice cream, but mom had a great dinner waiting for us when we got back.

So on to the pictures I promised. . .

My aunt and uncle's ranch in Lewistown, Montan

My daily walking companions, Addy and Cooper

My niece, Jaylee, and me getting ready to float the creek on my aunt and uncle's ranch.

Glacier National Park

Glacier

My cousin's wife Sydni, me, and cutie pie, Sayler

Bison crossing the road in Yellowstone

The Majestic Tetons

A Little Trip of My Own

2007-08-04T04:26:00.000-07:00

So, I have kind of been out of the "blogging" habit. Sorry! Timbra, thanks for the gentle reminder to post something new!

I just got back from an amazing trip through Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Mom, Addy, and I traveled to see some family in Montana, and for the past two weeks saw some really cool stuff.

Our agenda was to go see my aunt and uncle in Lewistown, Montana. From there we went to Glacier National Park, something I have always wanted to do. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Next we went to my cousin's in Bozeman. His little girl, Sayler, entertained us thoroughly! I threatened to take her home and leave Addy with them! She is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life! She is in the mimicking stage right now, which she will turn 2 in October. I taught her "Right On!" and "Who, Me?". I had the most fun watching her parrot us. She called us all "Sweetie" I guess because that is what her mom calls her. After everything she said she followed it up with "Sweetie".

We traveled through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I always enjoy the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. I think they are the most majestic of the Rockies I have seen. Old Faithful was a little bit of a let down this time around. It didn't shoot as high as I remembered.

While in the Tetons, we did a raft trip down the Snake River. We saw 2 bull moose, 4 bald eagles (2 of which were eating a snake, on the Snake River mind you), 6 or so beavers, 1 lone prong horn, some deer, elk, and bison. If you have never visited the Tetons, I highly recommend it. The mountains there remind me of the Himalayas, very jaggedy.

I promise pictures, however they are on my mom's camera. It will probably be a week or so before I get them downloaded to my computer to post. Hang in there, they are coming!

Feeling a Little Sorry for Myself!

2007-06-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that everyone else is getting to go on these cool adventures and I am stuck here at home. Daniel is in the Yucatan jumping off of cliffs into the water, seeing all the Mayan ruins, and working on an eco-tourism project for three weeks. My mom just returned from New York City. Now, my dad and brother are in Minnesota and South Dakota on a fun father/son fishing trip.

I whined to my mom last night over the phone, but got absolutely no sympathy from her. Her response. . . "Well, now you know what it feels like! Usually it is the other way around." That's right mom, and that's the way I like it!!!! I tried explaining it to my friend, Kim, who I carpool with to and from work. She threatened to slap me. Isn't there anyone who feels sorry for me?

On a more positive note, I had the best conversation with my niece last night over the phone. She is staying at mom and dad's with one of her brothers. Jaylee is turning 10 this year, which is hard to believe. She is really fun to converse with, although I am having a hard time with her growing up. Wish I could just push the pause button on her growing.

I also talked to her little brother, Wes (4) on the phone last night. I asked him why he wasn't in bed and he informed me that he stays up until midnight every night and midnight is when you turn into a pumpkin. I'm pretty sure he's right. I haven't seen too many midnights in my lifetime. We Floyds are not latenight people. We tend to be early risers, and lifeless by about 8:30 pm.

I have a feeling I won't be earning much sympathy, so I'll keep it short and go cry myself to sleep. Maybe I'll even eat worms!!!!!

In Your Own Backyard

2007-06-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have really been trying to keep busy since school let out. I am helping out with summer school at Parkway in the mornings. The afternoons are significantly less busy. I have been getting really stir crazy.

I decided to volunteer some at Lubbock Lake Landmark, which is an archaeological site that dates back thousands of years ago. It used to be a lake, which I know what you're thinking, "A lake? In Lubbock?". Now they have trails out there and have lots of activities that the public can participate in. I try to sign up for all the teacher in-service classes they provide because they are stellar.

I first got acquainted with the Landmark during a class I took when I was finishing up my master's degree. Funny how it took me 5+ years to discover such an intriguing place that is right here.

Lisa and I went out there this past weekend for National Trails Day. We went on a wildflower guided walk. It was so much fun! There were two older gentlemen who were leading our group. Eventually everyone else ended up leaving, and Lisa and I were the only ones left. Because of all the rain we had, the wildflowers were aplenty! I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and have the chigger bites to prove it!

So, I guess my challenge is this; find that gem of a place that is right in your backyard and soak it all up! It is amazing what you'll learn.

By the way, I didn't have my camera, but Lisa did. I have a feeling she'll post them on her blog, www.lisa-theworldinsidemyhead.blogspot.com

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

2007-05-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, even though I only had 7 weeks back at school it is really nice to be out for summer. Although there'll be no rest for the weary. I start teaching summer school next week and will be back at the nursery when I'm not teaching. I am also going to do some volunteer teaching/lesson planning at Lubbock Lake Landmark. I am getting to teach lessons on prairie dogs and their habitats. It should be tons of fun.

I think I am really back into the swing of life in the states. The trip seems a distant memory. It is really good to be home and back to normal.

I went home for Mother's Day, which was really good. Those days seem even more significant to me since mom was diagnosed with cancer. She finished her chemo in March, so we are thankful to be done with that. During my time home I helped her get her garden in order. That is always fun for me. While I was there, I was amazed at my mom's country survival skills. We heard a squeel which we thought was the cat, or something caught by the cat. My mom's white schnauzer was wandering around the yard and pasture and dragged up a live cottontail rabbit. I was horrified. I get the dog away from the rabbit, who is mortally wounded in the neck. My mom decided she was going to get the shotgun out and put it out of it's misery. I begged her to just let it be, but she was determined to end the rabbit's suffering. She tried to load the shotgun with birdshot shells, but ended up having to call my dad to ask how to load it. I had to go in the house, because I could not bear to be there. I ran inside and shut myself in the bathroom, and turned on the heater so I couldn't hear the shot. By the time I came back out, she had shot the rabbit and threw it over the fence for the cat to feast upon. The next thing we know, the dog was dragging it back over into the yard. Mom finally disposed of the rabbit. It is kind of funny to see this little white lap dog act like she is a country dog. I left thinking my mom was quite the frontier lady. I have to admit, I never thought I'd get to see her use a gun, but she can do some damage with the birdshot. Small animals beware!

I showed my parents some souveniers I collected in Vietnam. My mom took the picture below. I should be ready for a summer of gardening!

What You Might Have Missed

2007-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am really sorry to have taken so long to get these posted. By now there may not be anyone interested in reading the blog. I have finally readjusted to life back in Lubbock. I hit the ground running back at school, returning in time for the TAKS test. My kids acted like they were anxious for me to be back, but that was short lived. One day I visited them before I was actually back in the classroom. They all tried to convince me that the teacher who took my place while I was gone was "really mean". Mind you she is one of the most nurturing, kind, pleasant people you could ever hope to be your teacher. I guess they had forgotten what "really mean" was in my absence. It didn't take long for them to loose their excitement about my return.

Anyway, on to a story I completely forgot to post. We were in Thailand, when Melissa (the boys' mom) asked me if I wanted to go to a cobra milking at the Red Cross. Absolutely! I thought.

So we go and there is a small area of stadium type seating. We wait patiently for the "milking" to begin. The first snake was a king cobra, who was brought out bare-handed by a trainer. I was really surprised considering what I had learned about king cobras in Nepal. The trainer let him down and began antagonizing the snake for a good show. Everyone was standing up half out of wanting to see, half out of reaction that a frickin' king cobra being set down below us. I kept thinking about what Sanjay told me in Nepal about king cobras being able to propel themselves with their tale towards the head of their victim. I invisioned that king cobra going straight for my forehead. When it was time to bring out the next snakes, the king cobra's trainer walked up next to him and swiftly grabbed him around the throat and walked off. Another trainer walked onto the scene showing us his four fingers on one of his hands. He had apparently lost his index finger after a king cobra bit him.

Two more trainers brought out two siamese cobras. According to the speaker the siamese cobra venom is more potent than the king cobra's, and it takes less time to inject their victims, if you will. The trainers did the same antagonistic dance with these two snakes, then walked right up to them and snatched them up by the neck. I kept wondering how one gets past the fear of being bit. I know I never could.

There were more vipers brought out for show, but the one that impressed me the most was called something like a copperback racer. It wasn't a copperhead. Anyway, it was a smaller snake. When its trainer put it on the ground, it coiled itself up and propelled itself at the trainer's head. I stood in complete amazement as the trainer caught it in mid air with just enough room for the snake to barely miss the guy's forehead. I have never seen anything so crazy in my life. It was like some syncronized circus act.

After they showed us all the vipers, they demonstrated the milking of a siamese cobra. Right after, they showed us how they force feed them so they will produce the venom more quickly. While we were watching this demonstration, my mind went back to the museum I went through in India with the display of vipers. It showed how a person might be able to tell whether or not a snake was indeed a viper. The first way was by looking at its belly at the arrangement of scales. There are people who do this, and other crazy things, such as catching one in midair. Glad there are people willing to do this for anti-venom, but you have to question their sanity just a little bit!

King Cobra

Siamese Cobras

Milking Siamese Cobra

Force feeding after milking

One other really cool thing we did was going to a Chinese Acrobatic Act in Shanghai. There were contortionists, acrobats, gymnists. It was really neat. I think their joints must be made of rubber. All the guys had their hair spiked with wild colors, and were wearing fur half vests. It reminded me of the movie Hook. I wanted to yell "RUFIO, RUFIO!" The boys granddad really hit the nail on the head during intermission when he announced "I think they's 'bout half flyin' squirrel!"

Well, I am not sure what to do with my blog now. Nothing interesting going on here in Lubbock. Tim Rush suggested me doing something about things I love about Lubbock. I could try that, but for some reason, I think it would be about my favorite restaurants, considering that there are more restaurants per capita here than anywhere in the U.S. or probably even the world.

Thanks for hanging in on this wild adventure. If you have any blog ideas, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Pictures As Promised - China

2007-04-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Shanghai Grand Hyatt, tallest hotel in the world.

Images from the Temple of the Jade Buddah, Shanghai

Yuan Garden, Shanghai

Water Taxi in the water town outside of Shanghai. This is where MI-3 was filmed.

Bridge over the canal in the water town

Along the a canal in the water town.

Great Wall

Me in my dog coat

View of the mountains from the wall

Inside one of the towers

Great Wall

Climbing along part of the wall that has not been reconstructed.

Magnolia tree blooming at the Summer Palace

Summer Palace

Marble boat at the Summer Palace

Chairman Mao's Masoleum at Tian'anmen Square

Entrance to the Forbidden City

Inside the Forbidden City

A Visit to a local kite maker in the Hu Tongs of Beijing

Temple of Heaven

I intend to do a post about some of the things I may have forgotten to post. Check back for what you missed!

Pictures As Promised - Japan

2007-04-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wedding Procession at the Meiji Shrine

Meiji Shrine

Wedding Party

Guard House at the Imperial Palace

Cherry Blossoms

Tea Time

Traditional tea service

Flower Shop in Tokyo

Infamous Toilet in the Park Hyatt Tokyo

Red Snapper at the Fish Market in Japan

Mt. Fuji at Sunset

Fish Heads at the fish market

Dried Anchovies at a local market

Pine Tree at a Garden in Tokyo. The entire photo is the tree.

Jetlag!

2007-04-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

I can't quite seem to get over the jetlag. I have been so tired the last few days. I practically slept all day yesterday. My days and nights are completely backwards. Lisa gave me an Ambien to help me sleep at night. I took half of it last night and don't remember anything from eating dinner to about 5 am this morning. I don't remember putting on my pj's or getting in bed. I was thinking that if half an Ambien did that then I would have probably woken up with my face in my pizza if I had taken the entire thing!

I am working on the pictures. Hopefully I'll have them up by this weekend. Keep checking back.

Day 81-83 Japan to Lubbock

2007-04-03T02:54:00.000-07:00

I'M HOME!!!!! We came home a few days earlier than we expected. It is 4 am here in Lubbock and I am wide awake. My body still thinks it is 6 pm. I didn't really tell anyone that I was coming home early so I could surprise everyone. My mom knew, but I didn't tell Daniel or Lisa. I surprised Daniel by skyping him from my apartment, which he recognized immediately. Lisa, however, I didn't quite get to surprise her as I had planned. She actually came in my apartment to drop off my mail. I had intended on just showing up at her house. I am glad to have a few extra days to settle in before I go back to school. I have several things to do, and I wasn't sure how I was going to get it all done before I started back at Parkway. I think it may take me a while just to get over jetlag!

Our last day in Tokyo was a full day of sight seeing and shopping. We went to the Imperial Palace and the Meiji Shrine. The Imperial Palace is only open to the public a couple of days per year, and we were not there for it. It is surrounded by a large wall and moat. The grounds are beautifully layed out with bonsai-ed pine trees.

The Meiji Shrine, is a shrine built to one of the former Imperiors, and sits in a large park area. While we were there, we got to see a traditional Japanese wedding procession.

We were so fortunate to be in Japan the time of year we were because the cherry blossoms were beautiful! They only bloom 8-10 days per year.

Hang in there, I promise pictures are coming. It just takes a while to upload pictures and I have so many to share from Shanghai, Beijing, and Tokyo. Hopefully I can get them posted this week.

When we arrived in Dallas from Tokyo, we all had huge smiles on our faces, and I don't know how many times we said "It's good to be back in Texas!" It is truly good to be home. Now if only my suitcases could magically unpack themselves! That seems like a daunting task!

Update on the Phillips

2007-03-31T03:26:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to request prayers again on behalf of my cousin Kory and his family. Whoever is keeping their blog has posted a picture of the US. If you will leave a comment on their blog, they will color in the state/country where you are to show Kory and Jayme just how many people are praying for them and the power of prayer. It would be awesome for them to see the entire map colored. They can use all the prayer and encouragement you might give them. Kanyon is continuing to do well, but still has a way to go.

Day 80 - Cold, Windy Day

2007-03-31T01:32:00.000-07:00

It has been cold today here in Tokyo. It was so nice yesterday and I was even in my shirt sleeves. I've just sat down and am sipping some Darjeeling tea to warm me up.

We visited the Fish Market at the harbor, Hamarikyu Gardens, and another temple. Forgive me for not remembering the name of the temple, but you see, I'm all templed out!

The Fish Market was so cool. I enjoyed seeing all the different kinds of fish. It was kind of sad too because some of the fish were still alive and waving their fins on the cold slabs.

The Hamarikyu Gardens were nice as well. I wouldn't miss an opportunity to see a garden, particularly a Japanese garden. We are really fortunate to have timed our trip to Japan when the cherry blossoms are blooming. At the Gardens our guide took me to the tea house for traditional tea.

The temple we went to was something to do with the Goddess of Mercy, and something about fishermen finding her statue in a net and building a temple to her. You can buy your fortune there, and if it is bad you tie it on a rack type thing to do away with it. Now exactly how one does do away with their fortune if it is what is supposed to happen anyway? And if it is a fortune, is it possible for it to be bad?

I have to give the Japanese credit for bathroom ingenuity. We have the coolest toilet in our hotel room. It has a heated seat, and a sidearm with buttons for your choice of washing, either jet stream or delicate rain shower. It also has a dryer. I think I need one at home! They should have highlighted that in Lost in Translation.

I promise I will post pictures, but now I am having problems uploading them for some reason.

Day 79 - Tokyo

2007-03-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Tokyo last night. It is an awesome city. I did a little shopping today. I plan to post my pictures of China in the next day or two. We are staying in the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where Lost in Translation was filmed. It is probably in my top two favorite hotels we have stayed in. It is really beautiful.

I would like to request special prayers for my cousin, Kory, and his family. His wife, Jayme was pregnant with twins, Kanyon and Jayde. They were due in July, I believe. They were born earlier in the week, making them 25 weeks old. Jayde died last night. They are doing all they can for Kanyon, but he has a long way to go. You can read the latest by clicking on the Phillips Family link on the right.

Day 72-78 Beijing

2007-03-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been so neglectful. It seems that the internet works well and is speedy here in Beijing, but I cannot pull up blogspot's website for some reason. Lisa, is manning the blog for me until I get it where I can manage it myself. So far we have seen the Great Wall, The Summer Palace, Tian'anmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, and toured the Hu Tongs.

Beijing seem more historical than Shanghai, which appears to be more modern. It has been cool in the mornings and nice in the afternoons, which make for good touring weather. We got to see two parts of the Great Wall, one that had been reconstructed, and one off the beaten path that was crumbling. When I say off the beaten path, I mean we were the only ones there. It was amazing to walk along something that dates back to before Christ. The Great Wall is called the world's largest tomb, because many forced laborers died building it, and were consequently buried in the wall.

I have tons of pictures to post, but unfortunately, we will have to continue to wait for them. Thanks for bearing with me regarding the internet/website issues. Our next stop is Tokyo, which hopefully I will have time to update you as best as I can.

Day 69-71 Shanghai

2007-03-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

I am going to have to delay pictures and some posts for a while, because the internet is slower than molasses. We got to Shanghai on Sunday and are staying at the Grand Park Hyatt, the tallest hotel in the world. I guess everyone and everything has it's claim to fame.

Yesterday we saw the Jade Buddah Temple and the Yu Yuan Gardens. The garden was spectacular.

It rained most of the day, and was very cold. I broke down and bought a $40 down coat with what I thought was fur-like trim on the hood, only to realize it was real. I was talking to Elliot, a business associate of the family, and I mentioned that I wondered what it was. He replied that I probably didn't want to know. I jokingly said something about dog, to which he replied, "Most likely." I was horrified. I have felt guilty about it ever since. I have a picture of my dog on the background of my computer. She is laying down looking over her back with these sweet, sad eyes. As I was checking my email last night, her sad eyes burned right through me. I feel rotten! I have noticed nearly all the women on the street wearing these coats with fur trim. Then I think about how many women across China must have them. A very sad thought. I may have to get rid of the hood.

I'll post pictures of the Shanghai trip as soon as I can get to faster internet.

Day 65-68 Exploring Hong Kong

2007-03-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I created an entire post including pictures just earlier, when the website decided to go down. So my recreation of the blog will be shorter and sweeter!

Wednesday - Boat trip to Lamma Island

Thursday - Afternoon tour of Hong Kong Island

Friday - Botanical Gardens and Marks and Sparks (Marks and Spencers for winter clothing for Beijing).

Saturday - Chillin' and wishin' for some good Irish pub grub!!!!!

By the way, if you are not a regular visitor to the blog of Jeff and Amy Gearhart (link to the side of the page) you should read their latest post. It made me laugh and my heart smile! If you know them, you are blessed indeed!

Our boat that took us to Lamma Island

Buildings are built in this way to allow for the wind.

Fish Tanks at a restaurant on Lamma Island.

Azaleas a bloom!

Women on Lamma Island. They were motioning to me not to take their picture, so I had to take it behind their back.

Traditional Chinese boat in Victoria Harbor

View of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak.

Dragon thingie at a temple something or other.

Crazy giant statue.

I think this is some sort of African peacock at the botanical gardens.

Orchid Greenhouse

Coleus

Jaguar enclosure at the botanical gardens.

Day 64 - A Little Taste of Home

2007-03-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

Today everyone else went to Disneyland Hong Kong, and I opted to stay behind. I took a nap, worked out, and ran to the mall. I had two particular missions. The first was that I was told there is a grocery store in the mall that has Multigrain Cheerios. WHAT!?! My mouth immediately began watering! That is my most favorite cereal, and quite possibly my favorite meal. I eat them every morning in the states. I get up and pour my milk over them and let them set until they get soggy. Ah, sweet morsels from home! The second mission, I'll get to shortly.

I showered after working out and set out for the grocery store. It was a really nice grocery store, like a small Whole Foods Market. It was really neat to see so many familiar things, British and American. I turned down the cereal isle with anticipation and frantically searched for my Multigrain Cheerios. Honey Nut Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Special K, Kashi, Blueberry Morning. . . no Multigrain Cheerios. I thought that couldn't be right, so I searched again, and again! To my dismay there were none to be found. *Que the sad Charlie Brown music here.* I hung my head and lifted my hand sadly to grab a box of the Honey Nut Cheerios. "This'll do, . . . I guess", I thought.

The second mission was to buy some moleskin. My tennis shoes have rubbed a blister on my heel, so I needed some extra cushion. I assumed before I got to Hong Kong that since it was formerly a British colony everyone would speak and understand English. However, since I arrived, I have learned differently. While I am making my way to the pharmacy I am thinking about how I am going to explain moleskin, given the language barrier. Do they even have moles in Hong Kong? Will they think I am looking for a mole's skin? Maybe I should say it is like a rat, but really moleskin isn't really mole's skin, so maybe the rat approach isn't the wisest. Then I started thinking about asking for a corn or calous pad, but that's not really what I was looking for either. So I decided that I was just going to have to figure it out for myself. I look around and find wart remover pads, corn remover pads, odor eaters, heel protectors, etc. Finally I find something that seems similar to moleskin, it is called Pressure Point foam padding.

So I guess you could say "Mission Partially Accomplished". I am letting my Honey Nut Cheerios soak as I type, and I'll be happy eating them because they are still a little taste of home.

Day 63 - Hazy Day in Hong Kong

2007-03-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't really done much in Hong Kong today. We had school this morning, then I went to the mall connected to our hotel. I bought some postcards and some medicine for my stomach. Maybe the snake wine caught up to me finally!

Anyway, here are a couple of pics of Victoria Harbor from my hotel room. Enjoy!

Day 60-62 Hanoi to Hong Kong

2007-03-08T22:46:00.000-08:00

I may be off on my day counter since I got behind. I guess we'll see at the end of the trip.

When we arrived yesterday we set out to tour the city. We got to see Ho Chi Minh's home, and the mausolem where his body is kept. We didn't get to go in and see it because it was closed. We also got to visit another temple, which at this point, I could care less. I've seen more temples and they get less and less interesting. It is gets discouraging after a while.

We also went to the Hanoi Hilton. Our driver got confused and thought we wanted to go to the hotel by the same name. It was comical. The Hanoi Hilton is the POW camp where John McCain and others were imprisoned. It was very interesting. There are pictures all over showing how "well treated" the U.S. soldiers were while staying there. It is funny how some of the "guests" have a different story about they were treated. John McCain was so well treated, he cannot lift his hands above his head!

I need to update pictures, but it is extremely time consuming, so I'll only hit the highlights from Thailand through Hanoi. If you want to see more, well I guess you'll have to come visit me when I get back. Fair enough, right?

We arrived safely in Hong Kong, where we will be for eight days. I will be better able to sit down and catch up on my blog.

Changing of the guard at the Grand Palace, Bangkok

Monk reading the morning news!

Great Palace, Bangkok

Demon guarding the palace.

Buddhist Temple in Bangkok

Guide demonstrating the entrance to the Vietcong Tunnels in South Vietnam.

Oxygen holes of tunnels covered to look like termite mounds to fool US troops.

Snake wine. I wouldn't recommend it! Not sure quite what possessed me to try it.

Mekong Delta boats.

Our lunch on the Mekong Delta. It is elephant ear fish, fried with the scales still on it!

Taking it to the streets of Saigon with our tour guide Rose.

Getting pampered in a back alley salon!

Dana and I riding a bicycle taxi in Hanoi. I didn't intend to post two pictures, but for the life of me I can't figure how to get rid of one of them!

Ho Chi Minh's humble home.

Entrance to the Hanoi Hilton

Prison cell.

John McCain's alleged flight suit. Not sure why they would know that for sure.

Update - Day 55-59

2007-03-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have left everyone hanging. We have been so busy since Singapore, that I have not had time to really even be in the hotel room. We saw several temples in Thailand, and went to the Great Palace. It belongs to the king, and is where real Anna taught the kings children.

We visited the Vietcong Tunnels and the Mekong River here in the south of Vietnam. We fly out to Hanoi this morning. I will do my best to update with pictures as soon as I can.

Vietnam has been wonderful! I got my hair washed and styled at a local salon, as well as a pedicure with flowers painted on each toenail. The shop belongs to a friend of our tour guide, Rose. She took me and Susan there, with one of us riding on her moped, and one of us hiring a moped taxi. It was the most fun I have had on the trip. It was by no means a fancy salon, in fact, I noticed geckos crawling on the wall, and the water they used on my hair was about the color of beer. I had a face massage while they were washing my hair, and it wasn't the relaxing kind. It was more like a get the blood flowing massage. It actually felt like she was slapping me. Once they were finished washing my hair, two girls attended to drying/styling it, and two other girls attended my feet. Susan and I laughed through the entire experience. (Susan is the wife of a business associate that works for the family I am traveling with.)

Rose also took us to the Saigon market, which was so much fun. You can literally get anything at this market. Loads of fun purses and shoes. I bought a pair of knock off Prada and Gucci sunglasses for a sum total of $9. The part of the market where they sell clothes was a little unnerving because people would grab me by the arm trying to drag me into their little shop area. It was interesting to see everything they had, but I really hate being done that way. I finally got up the gumption to tell people not to touch me. It may seem rude, but I really do not like strangers to touch me, much less drag me around like a child.

Nonetheless, Vietnam has been a fun experience so far. I am anxious to see how the north is different. I promise I will post pictures, but I haven't even downloaded any to my computer since Singapore.

Day 53-54 Bangkok and on to Vietnam

2007-03-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy part of the trip and very difficult for me to catch up on my blog. We haven't been in one place long enough for me to get situated. I promise, I have tons of pics of Bangkok to post, but I will do it later.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE has a moped here. It makes me jealous. I want a moped! Not a new fancy one, but an older Vespa. Either light yellow or light green, with a sidecar for Addy!

I do have a little story to share about shopping in Bangkok. I went into a store that had a cute outfit in the window, a top and skirt. When I went in the girl said to me in broken English "We have big sizes!" I was thinking, "is she talking to me?" The previous day I was shopping and tried on somethings, and from what I could figure a size 6 was the Large. I'm a size 8. I did find a "big" size in the top and skirt from the window that fit and purchased myself a new outfit! The people in Thailand are tiny. I don't mean short, but tiny around. The men are that way as well. So I guess to them I am a giant!

Day 51-52 "Two Nights in Bangkok"

2007-03-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

You know you dig that song, and yes, I know it is only One Night in Bangkok. However, I get two nights here, so the world really is my oyster! We got in this morning from Singapore, but haven't had the opportunity to venture out yet. That will be tomorrow.

Singapore was the most beautiful city I have ever visited. It is so clean and foliage growing everywhere. I was amazed to find some of our common house plants growing so lush along the side of the road. It rained cats and dogs there yesterday and I decided that if I was going to see the botanical gardens I would have to do it in the rain. So I set out with my hotel umbrella. I was thinking to myself, if the side of the road looks this amazing, I cannot imagine the botanical gardens.

I didn't have but an hour to get there and back, so I only saw a small bit of it. I was in HEAVEN! The most beautiful foliage I have ever beheld. Why couldn't Claire Maguire have been with me to be my personal photographer. My little digital camera didn't do much justice, but I'll let you be the judge.

Bottom line, Singapore is not a city to miss!!!!!

Entrance to Botanical Gardens. I LOVE elephant ears!!!

Frangipani, although I believe it is also known as plumeria.

Palm Trees in Swan Lake

Happy Turtle in Swan Lake.

Pedestrian crossover

Cool fan palm on the side of the road.

What I believe to be bird of paradise.

Philodendrin (you can buy this variety at Little Red) on the edge of the road.

Bougainvillea

Side of the road covered in foliage.

Oh, and the new charger brought to me today, works beautifully!!!!!!

Day 50 - The Computer Saga Continues

2007-02-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry to disappoint, but I can't get my computer charging AGAIN. I should be getting one when we go to Thailand on Thursday. The boys' grandmother is meeting us in Bangkok with a new AC Adapter. Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer!

Day 48 - 49 Singapore

2007-02-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

I made it to Singapore. We took an overnight flight from Male. I did get one last sunburn in before I left to remember the Maldives by. I'll give you an update as soon as I can on life in Singapore!

Day 46-47 Nothing new to report

2007-02-25T03:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry to leave you hanging, but I didn't really have anything of interest to report. I have explored more of the island on bike, visited the orchid house again, gone to the beach, napped, and read. I did watch the herons try to catch reef minnow, but that might be the most exciting thing I have done in the last couple of days. I have tried coconut water, and mangostein (sp?) fruit. That is kind of adventurous, right? Oh, and Mr. Darcy has just professed his love to Elizabeth Bennet, and was rejected! I'm reading Pride and Prejudice now. I love the BBC version of the movie, but have never read the book.

Other than that, it is easy going here!

Day 44 - 45 "You want it, you got it, Toyota!"

2007-02-22T21:30:00.000-08:00

In case you're wondering about the title of this post, it comes from a line in the movie Forget Paris (props Angie!). Debra Winger's dad comes to live with her and her husband, Billy Crystal. As they drive down the road, her dad reads every sign along the road out loud, one of them being the Toyota dealership sign. It seemed appropriate since so many of you have been asking for more pictures. So, "You want it, you got it, Maldives!"

Yesterday, I made it to the orchid house! I was completely blown away. There were two whole greenhouses full of orchids. I don't really know a lot about orchids, other than they are very difficult to grow and you have to know a lot about them in order to be successful in growing them.

Last night we had an Asian buffet (no not Ana's Asian buffet!), a real Asian buffet. It was wonderful! I had to workout extra hard this morning to make up for it.

I will let the pictures of the past several days speak for themselves.

Our beach villa at Taj Exotica Resort

Giant Elephant Ear

Bountiful Bougainvillea

Male

Tomb of one of the former Maldive Kings

Bougainvillea covered walkway in the king's garden

Islamic tower and the symbol of the Maldives

Islamic prayer center

Banyan tree

Common pothos ivy. This is your most common house plant.

Flag of the Maldives

Fish Market. Yellow Fin Tuna.

Fruit Market

Little shore bird at the resort

Leaving Taj Exotica

Yacht outside of Male. It was MASSIVE!

Our villa at the Soneva Gili Resort

Glass floor in the villa

Open air shower over the water of our villa.

Lounging area on top of villa.

Other villas at Soneva Gili. Their motto is "No News, No Shoes!"

Infinity pool at Soneva Gili

Palm Trees at Soneva Gili

Soneva Gili Lone Palm Sunset

Yes, I actually went parasailing!

Sting Ray in water at the Tapasake Japanese Restaurant at the One and Only Resort

Beach villa at the One and Only

School of little minnows in front of the villa

Life is good!

One and Only signature orchid

Other orchids from the orchid house

Whew! That was exhausting! Think I'll go to the beach!

Day 43 - Just another day at the beach!

2007-02-22T00:43:00.000-08:00

I did a little island exploration today and found the chef's garden and orchid greenhouse. I tried to get into the greenhouse, but it was bolted shut. I was in heaven looking at all the wonderful garden plants. They had all kinds of basil planted in little sand plots everywhere. I am not sure there is a smell I love more than fresh basil. One day I am going to have a giant garden plot of just basil under my kitchen window. I guess the chef gets to harvest fresh vegetables and spices to use in the kitchen. I gathered that everything is organic as well by looking at some of the leaves.

The rest of the day, I spent on the beach. You know, I wonder sometimes why life has to be so rough.

I got my computer charging, for the time being, so I will publish some pictures soon! I am glad to know a back up charger will meet me in Singapore. My mouth is starting to get sore from holding it just right!

Day 42 - Final Maldives Destination

2007-02-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the One and Only. It is really big and nice. After we got registered and such we went to one of our rooms and found out that we have bikes to get around the island on! Hooray! Bikes!!!! So I've been island exploring! We went to a Japanese restaurant here at the resort for dinner. It was over the water and we got to see sting rays and reef sharks. The boys even got to feed the sharks from above.

Again, I have pictures, but I'll have to post them later!

Day 41 - Soneva Gili Resort

2007-02-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

I went parasailing today!!!! It was amazing to get a birdseye view of the Maldive islands. The water was beautiful! A resort employee got several pictures of the event, so I'll post the pictures when I get my computer going. I really enjoyed it!

More to come!!!

Day 40 - Male

2007-02-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I took a boat into Male today. It is a small capital city, only 100,000 people. The architecture is very eclectic. Very unusual shaped buildings. When we flew in last week I found out that the Maldives are a Muslim nation. They were all converted in the 12th century.

There was not a whole lot to see, but I loved the plant life! There were pothos ivies growing up trees like I had never seen before. The leaves were larger than my head! The vines themselves were around three inches in diameter. It was unbelievable! I loved all the bougainvillea, and plumeria that grew everywhere. I love tropical plants and it is so much fun seeing them all grow in their natural environment. Very impressive.

We went to a Muslim prayer center, and were allowed to go in, however I opted out of it. I really was more concerned about the shopping. The shop here at the resort is ridiculously expensive and I needed a few things. Come to find out, nothing is cheaper in Male. The boat ride cost me $60, then I bought two tubes of sunscreen for $30. I wanted to get some summery skirts, since I didn't bring any with me. However, I decided I had spent enough money. So it really ended up being about a $100 trip for sunscreen.

While I was there someone brought my AC adapter for my computer. The resort took it into town to have it looked at. I was amazed that they could just track me down. We spent the majority of the trip into Male looking for a new AC adapter for my computer, and to no avail! I have ordered one from the states and am having it delivered to the boys' grandmother who will rendezvous with us in Singapore.

So it seems that I will not be able to post pictures for a week, at least. That is provided the new AC adapter works. Pray that it does!!!! I can use the resort computer occasionally to post and check email. I will continue to take pictures and will try to do a picture post to catch you up to date.

Today we go to the Soneva Gili Sixth Sense resort for one night (Monday), then we are off to the One and Only in Reethi Rah tomorrow (Tuesday). We have been staying at the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, but when our plans changed and we decided to come to the Maldives early, we had to take what we could get. That is why we are kind of bouncing around. But it gives us the opportunity to see more of the islands. We originally only planned to be at the One and Only from the 20th-26th, but then decided to come on Valentine's day. Which gives us a couple days shy of two weeks here! I'm in heaven!

Day 39 - Wish You Were Here!

2007-02-17T03:23:00.000-08:00

This is what I did all day.

Tree Grove

Beach View

Lobster!

Resort Huts

My own private getaway!

Day 38 - Spring Break!

2007-02-16T02:51:00.000-08:00

Today I taught my last day before our spring break. We all shouted "Spring Break!" and danced a jig! I am really looking forward to sleeping late and soakin' up the sun!

I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful place. Elaine, I know you think the water must be dyed, however it is really that color naturally. I didn't come out of the ocean blue, but pink, and now red! I got a little too much sun yesterday even though I was liberal with the sunscreen. The first set of antibiotics have a side effect of making the skin ultra sensitive to the sun. Let's hope it wears off soon!!!!! I don't want to spend spring break a lobster!

I don't have any thing new to share, so I will just leave you with some pics I just took of my beach hut!

Day 36-37 - Ahhhh the Maldives!

2007-02-14T23:42:00.000-08:00

Left India. Made it to the Maldives. My back deck is over the ocean! Most beautiful place I have EVER been.

Later!

Day 35 - Jack Bauer to Right All Wrongs!

2007-02-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

Today I did a little more shopping since it is my last day in India. I can say that I am not all that disappointed. The shopping here is good, and cheap. I tried to exchange my Nepali rupees at a Thomas Cook exchange, however the man told me I cannot change them anywhere in India. What up wit' dat?

Earlier this morning I talked to Lisa who told me that there was not one, but two new episodes of 24 to download. ROCK THE CASBAH! I guess you could say I hit the "Jack"-pot! (That was just so hard to resist!) I watched the first episode while working out. No spoilers here, but I have to say good on ye Jack, good on ye! It really recharged me and was a welcome diversion. I intend to watch the other episode on the plane to the Maldives, but I am not sure I can wait. Then once I get to the Maldives, I can download the new Lost episode. Thank goodness for the iPod!

I got the results from the x-ray and CBC. All is normal, so I guess I have just pulled a muscle around my ribcage. I started on the new antibiotics, so I expect to make a full recovery in the Maldives. My mom emailed me that one of the medicines the doctor prescribed me had been taken off the market in the states by the FDA for causing strokes in young females. Don't think I'll be taking that one.

I better start packing! Sayanara India!

Day 33-34 - CULTURE SHOCK!

2007-02-12T02:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday ended up being very relaxing. I didn't do too much during the day. That evening we were invited out to this man's beach house for a worship service. We got there late and I noticed everything was set up outside for the service. The man who invited us made us come to the front as his special guests, and shortly afterward introduced as his special guests.

Sunday I went on a tour of Mumbai. Unfortunately, my batteries on my camera ran dead, so no pics. We started out at the hanging gardens. There not any hanging anything, but the story behind the garden was quite interesting. A religious sect called Parsi, leave their dead on the other side of the wall of the garden to be eaten by vultures and decay. I think it is noteworthy to add that Freddie Mercury was Parsi. They don't believe in tampering with the five elements, so do not burn or bury their dead. The vultures apparently have come down with some type of virus that affected their population. The Parsi people now use solar panels to help speed up the decaying process.

We then went to a Jain temple, which is related to Hinduism. To be honest, it is hard to keep straight. Before we could go in we had to remove our shoes, and quite frankly, I wasn't interested in walking anywhere outside my hotel room barefoot. However, against my better judgement, took off my shoes to enter the temple. There was a service going on where everyone was sitting on the ground singing. Everything in the temple was ornate and made of marble or silver. I made the mistake of turning my back to one of the gods, and our tour guide quickly corrected me.

Next we went to the Ghandi museum. It was interesting to learn more about his life. I remember watching the movie with my mom as a child, but didn't really remember much of the story. It was mostly pictures of him and photocopies of letters that he had written.

Today, I went to the hotel doctor. I have been taking antiobiotics to clear up the crud that has taken over, but they have not been doing the trick. So I was prescribed several different medications to take. They sent me to a local medical center for a blood test and an X-ray. My left side has been giving me trouble and when I cough it feels as though something is out of place and popping around.

I had a driver from the hotel take me over there. Before I go on I feel as though I need to add this disclaimer. I guess I am used to the latest medical technology, and can't say that I have ever had any medical treatment in what might be considered a third world country. When I was in Ireland, things seemed to not necessarily be the most up to date, but at least they were clean. So, when I arrived it looked as if a bulldozer had already started to take the building down, but stopped before the job was done. It was filthy, dirty and everything was narrow and cramped. I thought surely they wouldn't send hotel guests to somewhere that was not safe to go. A sign in the narrow elevator said "Use the lift at your own risk." I went in for the blood test and was standing in a narrow hallway, barely big enough to walk through, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. I started talking to myself saying, if it looks like the syringe and such are not sterile I'm outta here. The lab techs didn't wear gloves, but they took the syringe out of a sterile packaging. No one could really explain to me what I needed to do, mainly because of the language barrier. The needle was much larger than the ones they use in the states to take blood, so it really kind of hurt. I could feel the tears welling up as I was saying to myself, "Why are you doing this?". My better judgement was telling me to get the heck out of Dodge, but again I tried to reason that they wouldn't send me here if it wasn't legit. I prayed "Please God, don't let me contract anything!" I tried really REALLY hard not to start crying, but the flood gates opened. As a result by the time I got to the radiology office, I was a mess. I really was trying to keep it together, but I could not turn off the tears. Everyone was looking at me and I was trying to fill out paperwork that I didn't understand. Someone took me back to the X-ray room where I stood behind a shower curtain to change into the community smock, all the while sobbing. Once I was finished, one of the ladies at the desk asked me why I was crying. I couldn't really tell her because I didn't really understand it myself. I'm not one who breaks easily, but I cried all the way back to the hotel. I am sure it was a combination of being somewhere foreign, not being able to effectively communicate with anyone, being overwhelmed by how dodgy this place seemed, and little bit of me just wishing Mom could take care of all of it. (My mom is a nurse practitioner for those of you who don't know). Now it seems a little silly and I know things seem magnified here.

For now, I took a hot shower, and it all seems better now.

Day 31 - Shopping!!!!!

2007-02-09T03:36:00.000-08:00

Today Doris and I went to the Cottage Industries shop here in Mumbai. I found all sorts of goodies to bring back with me. I have been trying to buy Christmas and birthday gifts for family as I go along. Everything here is very affordable. I found a beautiful silver cuff bracelet, similar to what I had been looking for since I arrived. I wanted a chunky cuff with engraving and this one was the one for me. I don't think you can tell from the picture, but it has elephants on it, which are supposed to bring good luck. Maybe I should have bought it before I went to the Temple Tiger Lodge!

I had a stack of things to mail home already, so I added some things to mail. I loaded up and went to the business center to see about mailing it. They told me it would be $200, which was almost as much as I had spent on everything I was shipping home. I didn't have much choice considering my suitcase is busting at the seams! The man assured me it would be to Lubbock by the middle of next week, not that I need it that quickly!

I should run so I can go workout! I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and exerting only enough energy to lay by the pool! Shopping is exhausting work, you know!

Day 30 - Elephanta Island

2007-02-08T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hot and uphill! That's how I would describe our trip to Elephanta Island. We went there to see the ancient caves. It was a matter of catching the boat in front of the hotel, riding an hour out to sea and walking uphill about a mile in the 2pm Indian sun! I was thinking to myself that it better be worthwhile. You have to pay to get on the boat, then pay tax once you arrive, then pay the entrance fee. It was an odd process, but we made it to the top without anyone passing out.

The first cave we went into was large and had many gods carved into the stone. They were really big and elaborate. My flash was not enough to get a very good picture of the inside. As a result, you get to see the entrance.

We walked on to some of the other caves, and on our way there were monkeys everywhere. They are not nice cute monkeys, but greedy, thieving monkeys. In addition to the monkeys, were many sad, sad dogs, and even sadder puppies. Some so rail thin you could see their bones.

It reminded me of a conversation my friend, Amy Forister, and I had when we were working on a case together at CPS. We worked daily with kids who had endured unthinkable abuse, but we talked about how we couldn't bear to witness animals suffering. I wanted to scoop all those little puppies up and take them somewhere and feed them.

As we meandered on around the caves, an Indian man approached me and asked if I would take a picture. I thought he meant taking his and his friend's picture, but he meant his picture with me. It was a strange request, but what do you say? So I warily said "Ok". Doris, a friend whose husband is a business associate of the family I am traveling with, said "Don't, he will want money for it!" I quickly told the man no thanks and to have a nice day.

On the way down I asked one of the boys (the one who holds me to my workout) if I had to workout today since we climbed to the caves. I was kidding him, but he still thought I should do my workout. As a result, I came back and worked out.

Everyone else went to dinner and I ordered room service since I didn't have time to clean up. I am having stir-fry vegetables and a big bowl of mixed fruit. The food in all the restaurants here at the hotel is fabulous! They have lots of healthy alternatives, which is good considering how easy it is to overeat at dinner. All the restaurants serve family style, so not only do you eat your food, but some of everyone else's!

Here are some pictures I took from the day!

Entrance to the main cave

Scrupulous Monkey

Baby calf on the train tracks

Gateway to India

What was left of my stir-fry veggies, and fruit bowl

Day 29 - A Deal's A Deal!

2007-02-07T02:41:00.000-08:00

One of the boys I am teaching was REALLY not liking doing his writing assignments. As a result I talked to him about it and said that sometimes we have to do things that we don't like because it is really for own good. I went on to tell him how much I hate to workout but know it is something I need to do. So we made a deal that on the days I make him do writing, I have to workout. Well let me say, he is holding me to it. Not a day goes by, while he is doing his writing assignment, that he doesn't mention about how I get to workout later.

I don't really enjoy the gym because I get bored easily. I really prefer to ride my bike, or go for a walk, or something that gets me outside. Since I don't have a bike here, and sometimes it is not the best idea to venture out on my own, I have to resort to the gym. All of the hotels we have stayed in have really nice gyms, and it is only a matter of getting on the elevator to go, but I dread it.

I have tried to download some good music on my iPod to help me stay energized and pass the time faster. My favorite at the moment is White Shadows by Coldplay. I could just put it on repeat and listen through my entire cardio routine. Today I had the pleasure of a freshly downloaded 24 episode. Now I could get some serious working out if I had a new 24 episode to watch while I work out. Talk about rivoting! Don't worry, Angie, no spoilers here!

I wonder sometimes if Jack Bauer were a real person, what his psychological profile would look like. It seems there are no lengths to which he is not willing to go to save the day. A person like that must be really messed up in the head. Nonetheless, he is my hero and what a different world we would have if our government could unleash the likes of Jack Bauer on the axis of evil!

So thanks to Jack Bauer, I got a really good workout today!

Day 28 - . . .but it's not as bad as Delhi

2007-02-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

I have noticed the theme of this leg of our trip has been ". . . but it is not as bad as Delhi". We have all been saying that phrase a lot since we came to Mumbai. When we got in Sunday night, we were talking about how we might actually eat at some of the restaurants along the streets that we saw. The poverty doesn't seem to be as bad here either.

We went out today to visit the Prince of Wales Museum. Well, actually that is its former name. It is now the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. I'm ok with its former name. It is within walking distance of our hotel. It is a beautiful building, designed by the same man who designed the Gateway to India (see the picture below). There was a wing devoted to natural history that the boys really enjoyed. One of the exhibits was a king cobra display. According to the information cards one way to tell if a snake is venomous is to look at the arrangement of scales on their belly. I thought to myself, why would anyone do that? I am not getting anywhere close enough to look at the belly of any snake, poisonous or otherwise!!!! By the time you checked it out you would be dead!

There were tons of other exhibits, but I found myself in the Nepalese exhibit. We noticed a Buddhist priest's apron in one of the cases that was made out of human bone! There were all sorts of other artifacts, Hindu and Buddhist, from Nepal. I really have a hard time keeping up with either of them.

As we walked along through the museum, it didn't take long to notice there was no air conditioning. Occasionally we would walk past a standing fan, and pause to catch our breaths from the heat. Melissa made the comment about wondering what it would be like in July. No kidding!

As a sidenote, Paul and Elaine, per your suggestion I went to the bookstore and purchased Siddhartha. I intend on sitting by the pool and reading it.

I'll leave you with a few pics from Mumbai!

View of Gateway to India from my room.

View of the sea from my room.

Silver carriage on the street.

Rooster on the side of the road. I noticed the menus here say "corn fed chicken". I guess that is opposed to the "trash fed chicken" we see on the streets.

Days 24-27 Nepal Rocks!

2007-02-04T23:58:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures I promised from the previous post.

The largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal. There are many Tibetans in Nepal who sought refuge from the Chinese. Buddhism and Hinduism are widely practiced simultaneously throughout Nepal and India.

People praying at the stupa.
Cremation at the Hindu temple in Kathmandu.
Evening entertainment at our hotel in Kathmandu. We stayed at Dwarika's in Kathmandu. You should Google it. It was gorgeous and peaceful!

Well this will be a particularly long post, so settle in. Seriously, it is LONG! I want to be sure to not leave anything out and describe Nepal for you as best I can. I don't even know where to start because it was beyond amazing. Nepal is now my favorite place we have visited, and I definitely intend to go back. I have wanted to visit there for several years, however there are current travel warnings due to some political issues. This made me a little nervous, but now that I have experienced it I know for myself. We barely got a taste for it in four days, but I enjoyed every single moment there.

Friday we set off in the morning for the airport to catch our helicopter. It was a smaller helicopter than the one we took in Dubai, about the size of T.C.'s in Magnum PI, with enough room for five passengers and one pilot. We set off for the majesty of the Himalayas. The foothills, which is an understatement, were all farmed by hand. It looked like fingerprints all over the sides of the mountains.

The farther we flew the more we could see the tall peaks of the Himalayas. They are more massive than anything I have ever seen. We landed at a place called Lukla, which is a refueling station. People fly into Lukla and start their trek for Mt. Everest base camp, which takes about a week's hike. There we refueled and started out for Mt. Everest. The helicopter could only fly at 14,000 feet since it was not pressurized, so we could not even go up to base camp at around 17,000 feet. I cannot even describe the anticipation as we approached Mt. Everest. Then we flew around the last mountain blocking our view and beheld the glorious mountain. It was the most breathtaking sight I have ever laid eyes on. I wish I had words that could give you the experience for yourself. As it is even the pictures don't show its majesty.

Typical public toilet in Nepal. This happens to be at Lukla. Here is my question, if there is no toilet, can you still call it a toilet?

Hiking trail to base camp.

The beautiful Himalayan peaks! This isn't Mt. Everest, just a nearby mountain.

The grand mountain in the distance!

A closer look at Mt. Everest.

Mt. Everest

Fog over the Himalayas

We then started back to Kathmandu. We stopped over in Kathmandu for a few minutes and took the helicopter to Bharatpur, where our guide, Sanjay, awaited us to take us to the Chitwan National Forest to the Temple Tiger Lodge. It was about an hour and a half drive from Bharatpur, but very scenic. We drove through through the country in two different cars, and Sanjay rode in my car. He told us the most fascinating stories. (Here's my plug for Sanjay, if you go to Nepal you must get in touch with him and have him give you the tour of Nepal. He told me he could make it very affordable, around $1300 per person including hotel, meals, tours, entrance fees, and a couple of nights in Chitwan National Park. That would not include airfare. I have contact details if you are ever interested. He is a fabulous guide and extremely knowledgable.) Anyway back to some of the stories. . . as we went through the countryside, I noticed what looked like stacks of hay, Sanjay told me that those were storage areas for the grains. A farmer's status is based on the size of his silo, the bigger haystack, the greater the wealth. We asked him about snakes, and he told that there are king cobras in the forest and they can get up to 18 feet long. In the summer when they have babies, they will stand about 6 feet up to warn you to stay away. If you were to venture closer they would propel themselves with the other 12 feet of tail straight at you. Most victims are bit on the forehead. Their venom can kill a person in 80 seconds and an elephant in 5 minutes. They prey on other snakes. My skin was crawling. Then he proceeded to tell me about another snake (WARNING, this is not for the faint of heart or easily offended) that finds its way to the homes of pregnant women. In the summer, people sleep out on cots on their porch. This long, thin snake will supposedly wrap itself around the woman and according to Sanjay "suckle her breast". I told him that was the craziest thing I have EVER heard, EVER! He swore it was true, and that to ward off these snakes people will rub honey on the legs of the cots because it will peel the skin right off of them.

Sanjay also told me about the Tharu people who live in the communities we drove through. Long, long ago it is believed that the wives and male servants were sent to what is now Nepal, from Rajasthan(sp?) while the husbands stayed and gave their lives in battle fighting the Moghuls (Muslim invaders). The wives married the male servants, but to show they were superior, when they would serve the men their food, they would push it across the floor with their feet. This continues to be a tradition in the Tharu homes.

As we drove through the countryside the people looked so happy and content with their way of life. A very different feel from India, although there are some of the same social problems. The children would chase us and wave at us as if they were as interested in us as we were in them. We got to the place where there was a large congregation of people in uniform. It was a training camp for young adults who were going to work in the park. We walked down to the banks of the river, Narayani, where our canoes were waiting to take us across. The young trainees were so excited taking pictures of us and waving goodbye at us.

When we arrived at the other side of the river, safari jeeps were waiting to take us to the lodge. A hut sat on the other side of the river where several park employees greeted us. We saw a crocodile on the way!

Not so good picture of the croc.

It was then about a 15 minute drive to the lodge. Upon our arrival we saw elephants waiting to take us on our safari. I've never been on an elephant and so my heart was racing with excitement. The elephant I rode was the mother of a little tusker. He followed along with us on our safari. His father is a wild elephant who has fathered other little elephants. All the elephants owned by the lodge are female. We began our safari, and not too far in, my allergies got the best of me. Melissa handed me a Benedryl she happened to have in her purse. About 20 minutes into the safari we saw a rhino. He was so close to us. As we went on we saw several more rhino. The rhino are being poached in the park for their horns.

Tiger paw print

When we got back to the lodge we ate dinner and retired early. Since we were in the jungle, everything was wet. Our towels weren't completely dry, nor the sheets. However as tired as I was from the very long and exciting day, I settled in for a long night's sleep in my damp bed.

On Saturday, I opted out of the early morning safari since the brush we went through sent me into a coughing fit the previous day. I also figured that no one else would see anything with me hacking along the way. As it was, they all came back telling me they saw four tigers. It reminded me of the time my friend, Nikki, and I and company went to a Chicago Cubs game. I went to the concession stand for everyone else and wound up missing Sammy Sosa hit a home run. It is just my luck. I thought earlier that morning as sure as I don't go they will see tiger, and such was the case. They were all so excited and I got to see the pictures upon their return.

We started back for our return to Kathmandu after that safari. We got in our canoe to cross back over the river and there were several people out along the river. A group of several people were having a picnic. They had just killed 4 chickens and were de-feathering them. When they saw us coming they waved at us and held their chickens up while we frantically took pictures. Then we came upon three young girls wading in the river, as well as a young mother and her three children. The people were so warm and welcoming.

We flew back into Kathmandu from Bharatpur and Sanjay met us to take us to Bhaktapur. Bhaktapur is a city near Kathmandu where an ancient Newari king built his palace and temples. One of the things I learned about both Hinduism and Buddhism is that sexuality is a central theme. They believe in the balance of male and female energy in order to reach Nirvana. So throughout the palace square are statutes and buildings decorated with tantric images. I mean everywhere. I didn't intentionally take pictures of those things, but here are some pictures of the palace square in Bhaktapur. Hopefully nothing offensive made its way into the pictures here.

Saturday night we went to the Krishnarpan restaurant for a 12 course Nepalese meal. I only made it through 8 because I still have not been able to shake the cold I acquired in Dubai. Then with my allergies acting up, I was not feeling 100%.

Sunday I went with Sanjay to the town of Patan, where we toured another palace square. There was a Buddhist temple located in the center which was gold plated. A young boy was serving as the priest. According to Sanjay, 5,000 families are in the priestly order and a boy 12 years and younger will serve as priest for one month. The little boy in the picture is the priest. All along the temple floor were food offerings to Buddah. I noticed the pigeons were eating the food offerings and asked Sanjay how the people felt about it. He said people were glad for it to feed the animals. If you have ever been where there are pigeons, you are well aware of what pests they are. I thought if I were those people, I would be disgusted that the birds were eating my offering, especially pigeons!

Sanjay then took me into a shop and asked me if I would like to try an ancient bowl therapy to help clear my cold. At this point, I am willing to try just about anything, so I said sure. The man in the shop put this metal bowl on my head made from seven metals. He then proceeded to gently hit the bowl with a soft mallot of sorts. Sanjay told me to close my eyes and concentrate on the sound. Really what I was concentrating on was not laughing. So I guess it was lost on me, but I didn't even break a smile. Sanjay took some pictures of it.
Later that day we caught a very late flight from Kathmandu to Delhi, and then missed our connecting flight to Mumbai (Bombay). We didn't get in to Mumbai until late last night. As we drove to our hotel, I didn't have the sad feeling I had in Delhi. I am anxious to see what Mumbai has in store. Our hotel room looks out over the ocean. So in the last four days I have been to the Himalayas, the jungle, and now the Arabic Sea. It certainly has been an exciting four days!

Day 23 - Kathmandu

2007-02-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a long, eventful day. We got to Kathmandu this afternoon and hit the ground running. We went to the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal and to a Hindu temple. I will post pictures later. According to our guide 80% of people in Nepal are Hindu. There are several people here from Tibet, and we have seen many Buddhist monks. I have learned a lot about both religions.

At the Buddhist Stupa, people are supposed to walk around the structure clockwise as many times as they like up to 108. They recite prayers and spin prayer wheels all around the stupa. As I understand it, one of the Dalai Lama's teachers died on Tuesday, and they were having a memorial service that we were able to watch.

When we went to the Hindu temple, we learned that it sits on the banks of the river here. Hindus take their dead to the river and burn the bodies, then toss the ashes into the river. We saw three bodies being burned. One of those bodies we got to see being prepared to be burned. They bring the body wrapped in a special cloth, then dip the feet in the water. Each person in the burial party dips their finger into the river and drops the water into the mouth of the deceased. Next, they remove the cloth, and prepare it to burn. The immediate family, excluding daughters, then goes back to a secluded room in their home to mourn the loss of the family member. No one can touch the family member for 13 days because the spirit of the deceased is supposedly looking for a new home. I didn't quite understand all the details.

Anyway, we leave for our helicopter tour of Mt. Everest tomorrow morning. Then Friday afternoon and Saturday we will be at a Wildlife Refuge. At this point, I don't think I will take my computer. So it may be a few days before I post again. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Day 22 - Shopping Day

2007-01-31T03:14:00.000-08:00

Today I went over to the Indian government shopping bazaar. It is a collaboration of Indian textiles, jewelry, furniture, etc. and is about three to four stories. It is located across the street from our hotel. I found some neat things while I was there.

Quite honestly, today was the first day that I ventured out of hotel compound area. I really didn't think I was up for more of what we saw on the way to Delhi. I kind of had to weave on and off the sidewalk, past street vendors to get to the end of the block to cross the street. Surprisingly, very few people tried to get my attention to hire a cab, give them money, or buy something like they were in Agra.

Tomorrow we leave for Nepal. I am really excited about this little excursion. I don't have any expectations for what Nepal will be like other than cold. I know we will be traveling very carefully as there is a travel warning for Nepal due to kidnappings and extortion. Let's hope the kidnappers and extortioners pass us over!

Day 21 - Not much to report

2007-01-30T03:44:00.000-08:00

Today has been relatively uneventful, which is kind of nice. I've been thinking about the constant blare of car horns outside my window. There seems to be very little order to traffic, and most everyone who drives here is horn happy. It isn't in an ugly way, but rather just to say "Look out I'm behind you". No one seems to care about right of way, it is more like continuous merging and weaving through lanes.

Last night we ate at The Spice Route, which is located in our hotel. Apparently, it is world renowned and ranked in the top 10 restaurants in the world. It was really good, but not nearly as good as that skewered chicken I had in Dubai. I'll dream of that chicken for the rest of my life.
Just want to thank those of you who commented on yesterday's post. Your words were really encouraging. Believe it or not, reading the comments you leave is one of the things I look forward to every day. It's almost as good as having yous here with me!

On the subject of food, what one thing do you miss, get to eat so rarely, or is something that makes you weak in the knees just thinking about it? For me it would be nutella crepes. I think I might be like Esau and sell my birthright (not that I have one to sell) for one. When I get one it almost brings me to tears it tastes so good!