Just A Few Words

My eyes are dry and my pillow soaked

With tears of mourning over sin.

Yet, I smile on. In hopes that my heart

Will give way to the seen expression.

Come sweet sleep and offer your rest.

Sooth these weary eyes with your renewing slumber.

What You Been Up To?

Well... let's see...

You know it's really hard to keep up with more than a couple of things. I've found that in order to do even half of what I want to do with my flickr photos and visit friendly blogs on a semi regular basis something has to go by the way-side. And it turns out that this is that thing.

Fortunately it's more like the gutter of a bowling lane rather than that of a rubbish filled ghetto street. Still useful and sometimes visited :>)

So... I'll try to post once or twice a month and keep sane in the process.

Here's hoping many of you have a great school year and others a great nine months.

Some pregnant, most not :>)

Here's something cute to look at while you eagerly wait for my next post:

The Funniest Thing I've Seen Today

A little view of my world today

This morning my boys and I made our way to the $1 summer feature at our local theater and was disappointed when the projector died and had to find entertainment else-where. So... we made our way to the market to pick up a few items needed for the house; milk, Cheerios, ham, juice, etc., etc. Then we took our "break today" at McDonalds Playplace. Therefore 2yr old little "O" was sufficiently worn out for his sleep.

As usual he made a little fuss as I carried him up stairs and put him in his cot, so I told him "night, night", closed the door and made my way down the stairs to play Chutes & Ladders with 4yr old "Z." We were both somewhere around #50 when the irritated cry from upstairs quieted and then made a comeback as more of a "I'm hurt, so come save me" cry. I made my appoligies to "Z" and hobbled upstairs to find "O" pinned between the side of the cot and the wall. However, I was without a camera and therefore must leave the scene up to your imagination.

There were many things that began to run through my mind but the first thing to escape my lips was "I told you it wasn't safe to climb out of your cot." Feeling vendicated, I then began to smile over the hilarious picture that presented itself and make my way over to the distressed toddler. I was greeted with a very appreciative hug (or maybe he was just hanging on for dear life). So after a moment of absorbing this display of affection, I placed the boy back in his cot and retrieved the comfort blankies he had obviously tried to get for himself and all was well. Sleep soon came and the scene was brought to a close. But I must honestly say that it was indeed the funniest thing I've seen today and perhaps even in a great while because is it continues to bring quite a grin to my face and a light to my eyes.

Enjoy your days!!

Park Pics

I took the boys to the park the other day. Here's a pic or two.

The Older eventually hoisted the younger over.

Climbed the tree for this one.

My Buddy

Two posts in one week! What was I thinking?

As a kid I had one of those "kid sister" dolls.

I have since grown up a little and have a new friend.

This is now "My Buddy."

Yeah! That Might Work!

I've decided to start something that might never happen again but now I have a tag for it just in case it does. This is a "Hey, That Just Might Work" post and it just might be the last but here it goes.

Today I was listening to NPR (how very libral of me). I do so occasionally to catch up on what the general American is thinking about stuff going on within and without our boarders and sometimes about our boarders (but that's another post). So today, on the way to work I heard a report on some stuff going on in Iraq (not unusual these days). This report was on a business man from the US meeting with Iraqi officals about setting up a theme park in Bagdad. Sounds crazy right?

Park Goer #1: "Hey, let's go ride the roller coaster one more
time before the city's power shuts down for the day."

Park Goer #2: "I think a bomb exploded on that side of the
park and it will take a while to adjust the railings. So let's get some dippin'
dots and head home. We'll miss curphew if we wait for the roller
coaster."

That's the funny side of the situation but there are seriously things that are practical about this. Think about it. When you go to your nearest theme park, who is it that's running the rides and all the consessions? Our nearest theme park employs the young for most of these. In Iraq it would mostly employ young men. They don't need much training to run the tea cups and without these jobs they might very well be building roadside bombs or shooting at Iraqi police and American Troops.

There are about five or six companies that are looking at Iraq as a fruitful business opportunity and their goal is, of coarse, to make money but a side effect that we can all agree is good is that Iraqi people will have jobs. Right now most people don't have anything to loose by joining those groups against democracy because they simply don't have anything. There's a huge amount of money that our government has used to "rebuild" Iraq but there hasn't been anything seen as a result of it. Maybe the ones responsible for spending it were not associated enough with its source and haven't been looking to make changes that are visible in the short term. But those with a business mindset may thrive where government has seemed to fail because they are very connected to these funds are going to make sure there are profits. They have a vested intrest that their pockets will be lined and as a result of that jobs will be provided.

Some may see this as just another thing that the US is trying to push on the Iraqi people. "Get them to embrace our version of captalism so that they can be dependant on our companies in place of our Forces." Think about it. Let's look at the theme park for instance. How many theme parks housed within a city have you been to where there aren't a dozen resturants within walking or driving distance? Consider the shop down the street from Sea World that has some very similar souviners at a fraction of the price. Potential local business owners will be drawn by location. "Hey, if we could set up our cafe near the theme park we could sell ginger tea to those idots who spent all day on the tilt-a-whirl."

Think of the possibilities.

Good Intentions

Here's a small bit of how lunch went

for me and my toddler shadow the other day.

We were out and about, running an errand or two for "Mummy" when hunger rumbles began from the backseat in the form of whimpers and crabby growls. I had been trying to ignore similar groanings from my own tummy and found relief in the company of a little boy having the need for edible substance. While our stomach's made their request known to all within a reasonable distance from the open car windows my taste buds were searching their vast memories for a remedy. I could tell from the way the discussion was going that fresh veggies, cold-cuts and cheese were going to win the vote so I made hast for the nearest sub shop.

I thank God that this toddler really has no qualms when it comes to choosing food. He has eaten nearly anything that I've placed before him from the beginning of our relationship and I like it that way. So my choice was for a Roast Beef sub with cheddar and a wide selection of veggies. As I waited for the careful wrapping of our lunch and the choco-chip cookie that was so eloquently suggested by my small companion he found a table just right for two with a view out the window and an equally pleasing view of the other diners who were enjoying the establishment (we're both people watchers).

All went smoothly for the first few minutes. I unwrapped our provisonary sub and began to tear pieces just his size and place them on a bit of the wrapping while he sampled the soda a couple of times. Soon the eating began. We were both quite satisfied with what was provided for just a few dollars and could not have asked for anything more. Then it happened, that thing which always happens while dining with an almost two-year-old. The food is no longer seen as necessary for life but rather a distraction from other more important endeavors like smiling at the random construction worker and wandering to the lap of the most familiar adult.

Even though this was not what I had in mind for our little outing, I was not disturbed or frustrated with his distractions but rather sought to deal with it in the most suitable manner. I willing held the young boy and according to my experience had a firm grip on his waist ensuring that he could not depart from his new found seat. Then I skillfully moved his meal to the same side of the table and commenced to suggest each bite in the most alluring manner. My meal was finished and this alone remained on our to do list for this stop and I was confident that it could be accomplished. But that was before, before the manager tried to help.

It must be a lovely thing to be the manager of a restaurant which offers toys to small children with their meals because should the need arise you can opt to offer said toy to a less advantaged child who is distracting his/her parents from the task they actually arrived for, eating. However this was not the case for myself and my young companion. Therefore the presentation, although met with a smile from both the child and myself was not helpful to the task at hand but rather a further distraction.

Soon after the suggestion of a high chair was made and the manager mad her way back to managing, my toddler and I made ready to leave. I recognized that the furtherance of this endeavor would indeed be pointless as the toy, which I couldn't take away at this point, was infinitely more important that dietary needs.

Sneezy Pleazy

Another smell that I love visited on Monday. Just before the rains came in bucket fulls everyone went out and gave their lawns their first cut of the season. That fresh-cut smell leaves me sneezing but I can't help loving it.

P.S.

Did you know there are people out there? My profile broke 600 views yesterday. Not sure how to react. So I'll just say:

"Hey, What's up?"

&

"Why didn't you leave a comment?"

Spring Rain

Today I was overtaken by an urge to walk in the backyard. I wanted to feel the ground under my bare feet and I did. It was marvelous. I walked slowly with no intention but to feel the dampened cool earth and the soft spring grass on my winter-kept toes. It was accomplished. Then I came back into the house and the hardwood floor was disappointing. Even the freshly vaccumed carpet left something to be desired.

There are storms here now and I am tempted to step out and let my God drip rain from His heavens upon my face.

Spring Is Here!

It's not the 21st of March

And officially no one has said it yet but 'tis true.

I smelled spring in the warm, wet rain yesterday.

A smell which I've missed this winter.

Sassy

I was listening to bits of an album put out by one of my favorite lady singers and found myself thinking about some of her past songs that just make me laugh. I then realized that perhaps the characteristic I like most about her is that she is sassy. In fact if you were to look that word up in the dictionary it may very well have a footnote containing her name. I suppose it would have to be just the right dictionary though. Or it may even enclude a picture of this Southern Belle. Perhaps this picture.





P.S. One of today's best guitarists plays on all of the songs and produced the album. Thanks to my brotha' for the insight.

Who's Your Look-Alike??

I'm not sure about that last one but the first seems pretty close.

But in the end none of them are close enough for people to mistake me on the street.

I'm not sure what to say about this one.

Make Your Own

Maybe Wynonna Judd isn't in their database.

Sepia Sense

I went even more upload crazy yesterday. I have this frame which at one time had a mirror or something in it but now it's just the frame and a backing. My project is to fill it with pictures, cool pictures, pictures of friends and family, kids I care for, really just stuff that makes me happy. I want most of the pictures to blend together, look like they should be there. So... I turned a lot of pictures sepia this weekend to accomplish some sense of continuity among them. So it's all part of a project, not just crazy uploading.


So... visit if you like.


If not... then don't.


Have a great day!!

Cruisin' - Crazy-Like

Perhaps I don't know enough about scientology but this seems like a waste of tape to me.

What exactly is he saying?

Is this man serious?

Is he seriously demented?

Again, maybe I'm not "informed" enough to get it.

Does the Thought Count?

I was thinking this morning that a great act of love for someone to show me would be to scrape the frost from my windscreen some morning, preferebly one that requires my going to work. Then I thought I should do that for someone else. There is a van which is usually parked near my car that belongs to a single mom. I thought that would be a good one to start with.

I thought that...Is that enough?

Maybe tomorrow.