If any of you are on Facebook and are on my "friends" list you have surely noticed that I enjoy a good game of Bejeweled. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a grid of colored jewels and the idea is to make moves to create at least three connections in colors to gain points.
In the game there are "multiplier" gems. When one pops up and you can attach two more to it, your points double or triple. etc. Recently I had some treatments done to my back and I was off work for three weeks, so during my inactivity, I played a LOT! One day I noticed the harder I TRIED to make those connections, I was timed out and my scores were really low. The next time a multiplier gem came up, I didn't waste any time trying to make the connections. I went on my way busting up the obvious ones, and lo and behold, these connections happened on their own without any effort on my part, and my scores greatly improved from there.
Too often I find myself running ahead of God trying to do things my way, on my own timetable when it's convenient for me - doing the obvious without really listening for direction. I forget that HE knows everything, and he is not blindsided by circumstances, or shortsighted by lack of knowledge.
The harder I try to do things that are good and right are like trying to make those connections happen with my own power. When I watched those gems blast away into huge points, I realized how much easier my life would be if I just trusted Him for direction to connect with the things He is anxious to give me, like peace and patience, and kindness and a good set of listening ears...and maybe another high scoring game or two!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
My Life in 30 Days
I owe it to my friend Kay Dixon for encouraging a swap with 5 people called Thirty Days. We were supposed to find a suitable journal and write and/or illustrate 30 things we didn't want to forget. Then we would do a round robin and send our books around to each other until we all had a chance to read through each others lives.
I had a real hard time trying to pick just 30 things to enshrine in this book. I'm a deep thinker and started more than once to make a list. Parents, childhood, teen years, marriage, parenting, weddings, grandchildren... I couldn't just pick out thirty, so I did what I do best, I procrastinated.
Although the journal was always on my mind, I could not get my thoughts together enough to satisfy myself. I started with 2-3 stories, but I still couldn't get into it. The last thing I wanted in a book was stark white pages filled with just words. This isn't how I saw my life. Then one day Kay let me off the hook. She said make it what pleased me. Put some art in it. It didn't have to be longhand, it didn't have to be in any kind of order, it could be typed. That took the heat off me and she also gave us an extension in time.
Here's the front of the book so far. There's room for more when I find the right thing.
After I got going on the cover I started to do what I really like to do and collaged the next couple pages and then made an introductory page with my picture on it.
From here on the collages and entries are about my childhood, trials and errors in trying new art techniques, and using interesting pictures I have had in my files for years. I thought this would be a good place to bring them out and save them.
This is the inside back cover that is not finished.
This is the back cover:
I have mailed my book to the first person and when he is finished looking through it it will go to 3 others before I get it back. I'm already setting things aside that I want to add to it when it comes home. I'm anxious to see what the other four books look like. I'm going to be like a dry sponge ready to soak up a lot of new ideas.
I had a real hard time trying to pick just 30 things to enshrine in this book. I'm a deep thinker and started more than once to make a list. Parents, childhood, teen years, marriage, parenting, weddings, grandchildren... I couldn't just pick out thirty, so I did what I do best, I procrastinated.
Although the journal was always on my mind, I could not get my thoughts together enough to satisfy myself. I started with 2-3 stories, but I still couldn't get into it. The last thing I wanted in a book was stark white pages filled with just words. This isn't how I saw my life. Then one day Kay let me off the hook. She said make it what pleased me. Put some art in it. It didn't have to be longhand, it didn't have to be in any kind of order, it could be typed. That took the heat off me and she also gave us an extension in time.
Here's the front of the book so far. There's room for more when I find the right thing.
After I got going on the cover I started to do what I really like to do and collaged the next couple pages and then made an introductory page with my picture on it.
From here on the collages and entries are about my childhood, trials and errors in trying new art techniques, and using interesting pictures I have had in my files for years. I thought this would be a good place to bring them out and save them.
This is the inside back cover that is not finished.
This is the back cover:
I have mailed my book to the first person and when he is finished looking through it it will go to 3 others before I get it back. I'm already setting things aside that I want to add to it when it comes home. I'm anxious to see what the other four books look like. I'm going to be like a dry sponge ready to soak up a lot of new ideas.
Marco - "Prolo"
This time of year it is easy to hear kids in pools yelling Marco - and the familiar echo - Polo! But for me I started crying out for some Prolo Therapy. It's an interesting non evasive way to tighten up loose ligaments by injecting a glucose solution in the ligaments. The ligaments become irritated and tells the brain it needs new tissue. Voila! In 8 weeks or so, I will walk straighter and have more stability in my knees and low back.
After getting about 30 injections in my low back and both knees, I took three weeks off work. Some days I could actually feel exactly where the "mending" was taking place. I took a lot of pain pills and spent a lot of time napping, but now I've reduced the use of those pills and am heading back to work.
Ahhh. I love my regular, normal, sometimes interesting life and am looking forward to some mobility without pain or drugs.
After getting about 30 injections in my low back and both knees, I took three weeks off work. Some days I could actually feel exactly where the "mending" was taking place. I took a lot of pain pills and spent a lot of time napping, but now I've reduced the use of those pills and am heading back to work.
Ahhh. I love my regular, normal, sometimes interesting life and am looking forward to some mobility without pain or drugs.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
All of the pages for our 13 Week Journal have been traded. I'm not sure yet how the others are putting their pages together, but this week I spent hours and hours working on mine, getting pages to fall into the right places (didn't always happen) and filling in blank pages with my own work. I'm quite pleased with the outcome, and with no further adieu, here it is:
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Like Apples of Gold
I've been involved with a web group called 29days since Sept. 08. the premise of this group is to give something away every day for 29 days. Well, I did that and went on to blog for the next 4 rounds of 29 days. I haven't been so good at blogging there lately, but I still have been making a conscious effort to give something every day.
Tonight at work I was called to the register when a customer was trying to use a pre-paid credit card which still had about $4.80 left on it. We tried everything we could think of to get the card to work, but we remained unsuccessful. Behind her in line was one of our regular customers who was waiting patiently for her turn and watching as this mini drama unfolded. Then she whips out five dollars and says in a sweet voice, "oh, here, honey, I have $5....you just take it."
Customer A says, "Oh, I can't."
Customer B says, "Honey, I've spent more than $5 on stupid stuff today that I didn't need. Let me help you out. Please, let me help you."
Customer A accepts graciously and says, "Don't worry, I'll pay it forward."
It is hardly even a story worth repeating, except when you think about how each of us has an opportunity to affect change in our world, even if it is just a small kindness like this, or just a kind word spoken at the right time.
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Proverbs 25:11
Tonight at work I was called to the register when a customer was trying to use a pre-paid credit card which still had about $4.80 left on it. We tried everything we could think of to get the card to work, but we remained unsuccessful. Behind her in line was one of our regular customers who was waiting patiently for her turn and watching as this mini drama unfolded. Then she whips out five dollars and says in a sweet voice, "oh, here, honey, I have $5....you just take it."
Customer A says, "Oh, I can't."
Customer B says, "Honey, I've spent more than $5 on stupid stuff today that I didn't need. Let me help you out. Please, let me help you."
Customer A accepts graciously and says, "Don't worry, I'll pay it forward."
It is hardly even a story worth repeating, except when you think about how each of us has an opportunity to affect change in our world, even if it is just a small kindness like this, or just a kind word spoken at the right time.
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Proverbs 25:11
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Last year before Christmas I started working on my 100 things that make me happy project. With one assistant manager out with surgery, and working too many days in a row, I had to put my list on hold for a while (like about three months or more).
I had decided from the beginning the format for my list would be 100 pictures. As I began to make the list of the things that make me happy, I realized I would need to go back to some "beginnings" and "firsts", Like the first snow of the season, the first rosebuds, etc. While looking through already taken pictures, I came across one of me holding up our "first" daughter, Jennifer. I was 27, she was 6 months old. That was 31 years ago.
My relationship with Jesus is the first thing that brings me Joy/happiness, then the relationships with my family and others. Because of those relationships I am able to see delight in small things, like cooking with a five year old, listening for the hoot of the owl, the female cardinal weaving her nest and the first buds opening on the roses, the success of a small child in writing his name, or finishing a project that is difficult. There have been a lot of years and changes since that photo was taken. Picking out just 100 has been harder than I thought!
Today I'm going to add Peachy Cheap to my list of happy things. Check out the link on my blog, but beware, it's addicting.
I had decided from the beginning the format for my list would be 100 pictures. As I began to make the list of the things that make me happy, I realized I would need to go back to some "beginnings" and "firsts", Like the first snow of the season, the first rosebuds, etc. While looking through already taken pictures, I came across one of me holding up our "first" daughter, Jennifer. I was 27, she was 6 months old. That was 31 years ago.
My relationship with Jesus is the first thing that brings me Joy/happiness, then the relationships with my family and others. Because of those relationships I am able to see delight in small things, like cooking with a five year old, listening for the hoot of the owl, the female cardinal weaving her nest and the first buds opening on the roses, the success of a small child in writing his name, or finishing a project that is difficult. There have been a lot of years and changes since that photo was taken. Picking out just 100 has been harder than I thought! Today I'm going to add Peachy Cheap to my list of happy things. Check out the link on my blog, but beware, it's addicting.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The widening of the main road in front of our house started last week with the felling of two big trees on both sides of our driveway. It was sad to see them go, and even stranger still, turning into a driveway at night without the trees that had stood as markers of time to an entrance of the property that's been in the family for 189 years.
Ron is talking about planting Blue Spruce every twenty feet along the side of our property line. I don't know how many trees that would be, but I think it's a beautiful idea.
I'm glad his dad had the foresight to plant beautiful trees 40 feet back from the main road. Across the front yard are three big maple trees that take your breath away when the autumn sun shines through all the red, gold and purple leaves. There's an Elm and Pine on one side and maples on the other. In the side yard he planted rows of pecan and walnut trees, but I haven't the slightest idea of how or when to harvest the nuts on those. Aldi's makes it so easy to buy a bag for $3 without all the work.
Today the momma Cardinal is back checking out the nest she built last year in our pre-lit evergreen tree on the front porch. She laid four eggs there last year and it was so delightful to watch her, the eggs and the father with their different duties. When the momma was out, the father would guard the nest from about 10 feet away. When the babies hatched the father never left the mother or the brood. We could learn a lot from watching the birds. I think I'll take some bits of ribbons and such and drop around the yard to see if she uses them in her nest.
Yesterday I saw the first blue jay, and today there were robins everywhere. The starlings are back and the Canada Geese are coming and going on the pond. They are so fun to watch as their beaks go down hunting for food and their feathered bottoms stick up in the air. There were probably fifty of them out there yesterday.
We haven't heard our two owl friends all week. I guess I'll have to check out their habits and see if they flew off because of the weather changes or something. I've really grown quite accustomed to their chatting with one another in the dusk and late night hours.
Ron is talking about planting Blue Spruce every twenty feet along the side of our property line. I don't know how many trees that would be, but I think it's a beautiful idea.
I'm glad his dad had the foresight to plant beautiful trees 40 feet back from the main road. Across the front yard are three big maple trees that take your breath away when the autumn sun shines through all the red, gold and purple leaves. There's an Elm and Pine on one side and maples on the other. In the side yard he planted rows of pecan and walnut trees, but I haven't the slightest idea of how or when to harvest the nuts on those. Aldi's makes it so easy to buy a bag for $3 without all the work.
Today the momma Cardinal is back checking out the nest she built last year in our pre-lit evergreen tree on the front porch. She laid four eggs there last year and it was so delightful to watch her, the eggs and the father with their different duties. When the momma was out, the father would guard the nest from about 10 feet away. When the babies hatched the father never left the mother or the brood. We could learn a lot from watching the birds. I think I'll take some bits of ribbons and such and drop around the yard to see if she uses them in her nest.
Yesterday I saw the first blue jay, and today there were robins everywhere. The starlings are back and the Canada Geese are coming and going on the pond. They are so fun to watch as their beaks go down hunting for food and their feathered bottoms stick up in the air. There were probably fifty of them out there yesterday.
We haven't heard our two owl friends all week. I guess I'll have to check out their habits and see if they flew off because of the weather changes or something. I've really grown quite accustomed to their chatting with one another in the dusk and late night hours.
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