Life as a Civil War Soldier

Happy Birthday, Jonah!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONAH!!

Generous  Thrifty  Honest  Sweet  Kind  Happy  Exuberant  Joyful  Seeking God  Loving of his family  Giver  Empathic  Sensitive  Caring  Athletic  Basketball  Bike riding  Skate boarding  Legos  Hank the Cowdog  Sugar Creek Gang  Transformers  Super Heroes  Artist  Adventurer  Sea creatures 

Fire!!

So...two weeks ago the police closed down a meth. lab down the street from us.  I was so glad that the culprits were arrested, and felt much safer.  (As safe as you can feel when there is also a registered sex offender living almost across the street!!)

Today Jonah came running in the front door yelling about fire trucks.  We were getting ready to ride bikes (I watch/they ride), but had to evacuate!  The meth. lab blew up!  Four fire trucks, several police cars, the sheriffs department, ambulances, paramedics.

Mark was at work so I called him to let him know that we were leaving--the smoke and smell were horrendous!  And I didn't want him to come home and see an ambulance parked in front of our house.  He does not need any more stress. 

We were able to return after dinner.  There's yellow fire dept. tape around the perimeter of the yard, the home is gutted.  People have been driving down our street, stopping to take picts. with their cell phones.  It's a small town, so everybody's interested.

NO MORE EXCITEMENT!!!  NO MORE!!!  I want a quiet, BORING life.

Angel at the Alamo

I wrote this in the Spring of 1997.  Thought I would share it here.  Hope you enjoy.

                                           Angel at the Alamo

I saw an angel at the Alamo. He was in disguise. My husband and I, with our infant son in his collapsible stroller, were walking on the sidewalk directly across the street from the Alamo. We had just finished a Mexican food dinner at Rio Rio with our friends. It was late spring. The temperature was warm but still pleasant. The sun was bright, still high in the sky.  I don't remember what I was wearing, but my son was dressed in a sweet little sailor suit. I remember because a lady at the five and dime said he was a pretty little girl.

The sidewalks were crowded; it must have been a Saturday afternoon. Locals in a hurry--shopping, leaving or going to work, busy. Tourists were ambling slowly, heads turning, looking, a bit in the way if you had a destination.

Traffic noise, exhaust fumes, red-light--walk–DO NOT WALK. Tourists waited patiently to cross while locals darted out if there was even a brief lull in the traffic.

Across the street at the Alamo Plaza, small groups milled around. It looked quieter, more serene than the business side of the street. There was a family taking pictures of each other. Japanese tourists talked quietly, each of them bedecked in the newest 35 mm camera and the tiniest camcorder. Men in shorts and dress socks and panama hats.

And then through the crowd, and completely unseen, walked a man with wings sprouting from his back, above his shoulders, beyond his elbows. His face was ordinary, bearded, almost rough. His brown hair short and messy. Sandals on his dirty feet.

I was instantly amazed, but not that I had seen an angel. My first thought was--"Doesn't anyone else see him?"

I stood still and watched him walk by. Crowds jostled around me and the stroller with my little one. My husband turned around a few feet ahead, "Belynda, are you coming?"

I turned, following the angel with my eyes as he continued walking past me. In my memory this moment is in slow motion. The crowds fade away, the noises cease, and then I see my angel from behind. He has folded his wings into a bedroll, tied to his back. His hair is now dirty and matted. He is a homeless person. The crowd swallows him up, and he disappears from my sight. The people around me jostle by, the traffic noises resume, I give the stroller a slight push and follow my husband down the street.

And I am left to wonder, what exactly did I see?

"I spy something... vertical log"

Here are the steps:

1.     First, stick your arm straight out in front of you and give the "thumbs up" sign.

2.     Then take a mental note of what object your thumb covers up in your line of vision (some kind of vertical line works best.

3.     Wink your left eye. Wink your right eye.

4.     Take note of how much your object is visually displaced (in relation to your thumb) when you wink each eye.

Conclusion: The eye that sees less displacement is your dominant eye. I am right eyed.

P.S. Mr. Reynolds: I didn't know you were left-handed.

"We have God"

We ate a late lunch at Panda Express after Mark's cardiac rehab.  We always enjoy reading our fortunes in the fortune cookies.  (By the way, why can't they make those fortune cookies taste better?)  Anyway...

Mark's fortune said we would have good luck and money next month.

We laughed and one of us said, "That sounds good to me."

Jonah replied very seriously, "We don't need luck or money.  We've got God."

Wow.  Out of the mouths of babes.

Shocking Youth Message

Here is Part I of Paul Washer's sermon to youth.  All 6 parts last a total of 40 minutes, but worth your time.  To see the other parts go to:  www.godtube.com and enter Paul Washer youth in the search function.  (I know I posted the link to the entire sermon last year, but I'm not sure where.)

Are We True Believers--Testing Ourselves

My friend sent this sermon video to me and I thought I would like to share it with you.  Paul Washer's sermon on testing our faith to see if we hold true to what scripture says about a true believer in Christ our Lord. To hear the full sermon go to: http://www.sermonaudio.com . 

Just enter Paul Washer in the search function.  He also has an excellent sermon to youth ("Shocking Youth Sermon") that I posted last year.

A Little Fall of Rain

Sometimes I’m sentimental. Okay, so it’s a very rare occasion when I get sentimental, but there are times. One thing that has been doing it for me lately is kids at school. When I see kids at home or at church, it’s just normal. But when I’m in Modesto at school and I see a little kid running around or following his mom, I get all “Aawww” inside, like I’ve never seen a kid before. Like I’ve never changed a diaper before. Like I’ve never seen one throw a tantrum before. I miss kids.

I think I might read Les Misérables one of these days. I just know I’d never finish it. I’m a slow reader and it’s a very long book. It’s just that I’ve had such a craving to see the play for the past few weeks. I’ve listened to "On My Own" and "Do You Hear the People Sing" on youtube about a thousand times. I always liked the picture of the pathetic looking girl on the cover of the playbill or CD, but I was disappointed when I found out it is supposed to be a picture of Cosette holding a broom. Lame. I always thought of it as some frail peasant girl holding a gun. I don’t really like Cosette. I think one of my favorite characters is Javert. He’s a guy who can’t handle the idea that good might trimph over justice. When he realizes that good is stonger than the kind of justice he’s dedicated his life to, he finds that he’s not good enough, not strong enough. I like Enjolras too. He isn’t strong enough either.

Today is payday. That’s good. I have to register for Spring classes before next payday and this check should just about cover tuition. I like MJC. It’s cheap. Just four more weeks until Christmas Break!

I need to make some lists. I’ll start with a list of lists:

-People I need to hang out with more

-Christmas gifts I need to buy/make/steal (possibly)

-Books I want to read

-Books I need to own

-Places I want to go

Are you right eyed or left eyed? Do you know?