I have to admit that I'm supposed to be at work right now... and no, I did not call in sick.  I am on-call as we don't have a huge number of patients today, but as always, I'm sure on Monday it will all change.

The cool thing about it is that yesterday Shawn and I went to Bread Beckers for a class.  It was wonderful... the theme was fall comfort foods.  I mainly wanted to see some new recipes and learn more about pressure cooking as that always scares me.

When we got back from church last night Marc helped me pressure cook some potatoes in the old pressure cooker I got from my grandmother this summer.  It wasn't one of the new fangled ones, but it didn't blow up or make alot of noise since I had Marc here helping.  Well... essentially he did the actual work, I just stood around trying not to look scared.

So now I am inspired.  Today my plan is to get comfortable with pressure cooking, and to make a pot pie.... but then that's another post....

It would seem that I've forgotten that I actually have a virtual diary of sorts as I haven't bothered to post even random junk lately.

The truth is that after a really weird summer filled with alot of stuff I don't want to bother remembering I took a break.  I haven't worked in a month and am totally broke.  We are doing school, but not a whole lot else at this time.

I don't think I've had this little to do since having kids.  I've been lazy and haven't even broken in my new pressure canner.  I've got a stack of books to read, but haven't put forth the mental effort.

One guilty pleasure I have is reading a couple of blogs and living somewhat vicariously thru them.  One is this one... this girl is beyond cool, and she has the best hair.  So despite being old(er) and having a negative cool factor I will attempt to copy her by naming five things I'm in love with right now.... 

1.  Killer Sudoku.... dorky, yes, but a major fasicination.  Print them for free online at the link.  This isn't your regular sudoku, and just to explain it will make your head hurt.

2.  My elephant ring... Marc bought it for me many moons ago, and like most jewelry I have I tend to wear it a while and then put it away.  It's back and I had forgotten how much I love it.  I think I wear in instead of getting the elephant tattoo I was wanting and for now that's okay....

3.  Fall gardening.... it's time to prepare and plan for cool crops done in the fall/winter in the South.  I've put out turnips, collards, spinach, carrots and onions.  I'm doing only a couple of plants for the most part as they are just in my small backyard raised beds.  I am doing some new plants as well just to broaden our horizons and do something different.  For you GA folks check out this chart for a planting calender.  We're in zone 7 BTW.

4.  Creating.... I'm not the most creative person, but I feel that one of my strengths, and possible eventual downfall, maybe the fact that I'll generally try anything once.  I don't want to ever think that I didn't at least try, or were afraid of failure so never attempted to fail.   That said, it's not that I don't have ideas, I just don't always know how to make them translate into reality, and then if they do come to life, they generally aren't what I invisioned.  I've been sewing more lately so that my skill level improves so that the outcomes are better in the future.  This skirt for Shawn though was a simple creation... no pattern needed, and it only took 2 hours or so to complete.  It would've been quicker if I had more of a clue, but then I am working on skills here not just product.

5.  Homeschooling... again, I'm a complete dork, but I love knowing that each morning my family is together, and we spend each day, good or bad, loving and learning together.  There is no bad to it.

When Marc and I got married 16 years ago we got the bright idea to move from Alaska to Phoenix.  We figured the best way to travel was in my 2-seat car with the cat and to camp out along the way.

Combine this with us not knowing each other very long and me coming off a cigarette addiction, it's a miracle we survived the trip, let alone 16 years.... we even have the same cat.

The point is that since that time, I haven't camped.  I have actually refused to camp.  I have wonderful memories of so much of western North America from this trip, but the camping part was not something I wanted to revisit....

But I was feeling that I was missing out on something.  My kids had only slept out in the tent in the backyard, but they had never had a real camping experience.

The weather has been unseasonably cool here so we decided to surprise them with a trip to Cloudland Canyon.  We had done day trips here, and thought it would be great for an overnighter.

It was wonderful and beautiful, and the kids had a great time....

I just don't remember the ground being quite so hard....

I usually make my own dishwashing soap.  Primarily because I'm cheap, but also because what I make is real soap joined with the beauty of essential oils to clean my dishes.  I use the Dr Bronners soap diluted with some water and usually add some tea tree oil, rosemary oil, and whatever strikes my fancy for the day.  It works well, and smells nice.

Then I made the mistake of watching  TV other day.  This is what I saw:

I was suddenly taken back to the 1970s when Walter Cronkite would interupt my Saturday morning shows to tell me a kid's version of what was happening in the world.  I suddenly wanted my glass of TANG like the astronauts drank, to save the whales, and to help the poor sea creatures whose habitats had been damaged by oil spills.

Needless to say, I went right out and bought a bottle of Dawn, and I even put my verification code in online so that the little ducks and otters would benefit.  It was weird that this commercial had such a pull, but I guess that's what they pay the marketing department for.....

I've got about 8 entries started, but with life such as it is, I've had trouble getting them finished lately.  Now I'm left with just posting to post...

It would seem that if you are 4 legged and feel the need to feel fat and happy you show up on my door step.  Marc has always operated under the premise that if an animal shows up at your house then it is meant for it to stay.  So even though I just said last week that nothing else that eats and poops is moving in, I was shot down.

He is obviously a very tame cat, but we've not been able to find his family or a new home.  (If anyone wants him I can deliver.)  He was going to be an outside cat, but he seems to like my purple chair almost as much as I do...

I don't profess to know it all, or to even have half a clue, but I do know that I can say how I choose to do things, and what works for me. 

I am a student by nature and honestly hate the accountability and pressure of teaching.  I believe that when we stop learning in life we have reached the point to where we might as well not be here, and I would hate to be so bold as to say that I am an expert on anything.  I will tell you how I do it, but how you choose to do things is up to you....

Life has been stuff lately, and I hate stuff.  I prefer falling into place or even chaos over just getting thru the day.  I don't want things to be easy, but I hate the monotony of 'stuff'.  I'm wanting to see accomplishments or at least growth, but not just dealing with things.... more than just checking things off of a list...

So, my point, is that I don't have things together.  I think that is always pretty clear.  But I do plan to keep on moving and doing even though it may not always be the right thing or even the best thing.

It seems like there is alot of bad stuff out there right now.  I don't know why, and I don't know how to fix it.  Sometimes all we can do is to pray....  Pray for Michael P. and Kate

I hope we can still cuddle even though you're a big man now....

Happy birthday...

I recently heard about this organization, and was really impacted by their mission.  Please check them out...

It would appear that the same songs and voices in my head are still present from the last few weeks, but I did want to share this one that's almost always on my playlists...

I have long been skeptical of the holidays invented by greeting card companies in the 20th century, and have boycotted them for the most part for their capitalist and fascist sentiments.  But according to some, these days are important traditions within our society so I cave in to a degree.  I do refuse to buy cards, and usually forget to make them as well.  I also seldom know what day of the week it even is, so all of this may just be nothing more than an excuse for me to not be held accountable for not watching a calendar.

Nonetheless... we celebrated Marc this past Sunday by spending some much needed time together.  We went to Cloudland Canyon State Park in NW GA for an amazing hike down into the canyon to a beautiful waterfall.  Let me just say that down was easy...  

Jett reading the map and leading the way!

One of the waterfalls at the bottom of the canyon... if you look to the right of the falls you can see an image of a bear head....

Close-up image of the bear head...

Resting....

Why I'm not sitting with them....

I received this from a facebook friend who is a pastor in Kenya this week. 

Proverbs 11:24  One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. (ESV)


During the great depression, two families shared a house in Pennsylvania. One family occupied the upper floor, and the other family lived on the lower. The family which lived downstairs was always inviting people in to share what they had. Whenever there was an opportunity for them to help out, they would do so. No matter how much they gave, they always seemed to have enough.
However, the family on the upper floor, scoffed at the way the downstairs
family lived. They stored all extras in a locker in the pantry. They gave nothing away. It was not until rats got into their pantry that they were sorrowful for what they had done. Interestingly, the rats had not disturbed the downstairs pantry.

Selfishness leads to despair. True joy comes to us not from what we own. It comes from what we are able to give to others.
We were put on earth to serve one another, and when we fail to do so, there is a price to pay. When we give what we have, God will bless us with more, and blessings will double because of the joy that giving brings.

written by Pst John

Prayer: Take what I have Lord, and use it for Your glory. I have nothing except what You have given me. Help me to share from my abundance and give all that I can to those who are in need. AMEN

Jett recently told me about one of his goals in life.  I was curious as he doesn't seem to be one of those kids who has a list of what he wants to be when he grows up.  I was kind of confused and amused when he told me that his goal is to be the best air-guitarist in the world someday.  This is his favorite song right now to play along with as it has become one of our favorite songs for summer.

Right now is a pretty busy time, but I wanted to give a quick view into life as I know it...

I was recently at the oncologist's office for an appointment for my mother.  We will be following-up in 2 weeks with what the plan will be, but she, the MD, was giving us a general run-down of what happens with chemo.  She was very respectful of alt-views, but still up on all the latest medical stuff as well.  She mentioned the need for Vitamin D supplementation with medication, when I interjected that my mother can just go and sit out in the sun everyday and get her fill of this.  The doctor then hollered at me that she was an oncologist... she doesn't tell people to go sit outside in the sun... they'll end up with skin cancer! 

The past few days we have also been moving my grandparents into assisted living.  I've been helping out alot with coordinating this move, and was speaking with the director of the facility.  The residents consist of some very social and active people with the men having their own group.  Next week the men are taking the facility's bus and travelling about an hour to see the Rome Braves play ball.  The following week they voted on their outing and chose to go to Hooters.  Not that I've ever been a Hooters waitress, or even considered the possibility, but what must be going thru the minds of a Hooters waitress when you see the assisted living bus pull into the lot and a bunch of guys riding hover-rounds come in for service?

While the message of the day may have been Uncomfortable at Oakleaf this weekend, I am focusing on creature comforts for just a little while.

I don't have alot of time and often the little things are the first to go in busy times.  Today after work, I decided to go an get a pedicure.  I could do it myself, but it would take forever, especially since it seems like reaching my feet gets harder every year, and wouldn't even look that good. 

I also wanted to discuss shoes.  I hate flip-flops, but I've recently become a convert since I've learned about Yellow Box shoes.  These are so wonderful, and make being on your feet not so bad on those long days.

I honestly have a plan to post more useful entries, but life has been more than a bit complicated this week.  At one point of my constant running I was walking by my bookshelf and noted a book shoved onto the top shelf that I hadn't seen in years.  I first read Blue Highways in middle school for required reading, probably the year it came out (1982) as I was in 8th grade at the time.... I was blown away when I read the first page and saw where I had written in the book.

I've not gotten all the way thru it, and I am seeing a new appreciation as an adult while I read thru the travels of William Least Heat Moon.  It is the classic story of American backroads and the people you meet along the way.... deep in its simplicity.

It doesn't help with the fact that I'm ready to take life on the road right now, but it does remind me of my 13 year old self who was solidly reared in middle-class suburbia.  This story opened up a whole new world of possibilities in my mind.  I waited years before it was time for me to leave, and it maybe another 10 years from now before I'm ready to go again.  You know, that whole  everything has it's time....

So bear with me a few more days.... do some summer reading and I'll come up with a funky little tutorial tomorrow (hopefully!)....

I have to admit that the whole WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) thing that came along after my time and often seemed to nothing more than a way to guilt people into submission, but it has been the question on my mind this week.... 

I guess I'm wondering what would Jesus do if he lived today?  What does being a modern-day Christian really look like? 

For so many people that means looking at music or clothes, but I'm wondering if that all isn't really subjective any way?   Would Jesus go to a rock concert wearing 7 jeans, or would he go hang out at the local coffee shop with his laptop?  I'm not talking about the consideration of sin either, please.  I think that there is a possibility for decency and morality in our society.

I don't really know how a man who lived 2000 years ago would relate to our present times, but I do know that Jesus hung with his friends over meals, that he went to gatherings with people who were known sinners including your local crooked IRS guy.  He even commended the woman who sat and talked with him despite her homemaking/hostess duties that were ignored.  It really sounds like Jesus had an active social life and not like he didn't live within the culture of the time.  He also didn't seem to see people the way that we so often see them.  He saw people who were lost and needed saving.  He didn't seem to look at what we are, but at what we could be.

I think the reason for my questioning is because I don't want to rationalize life today.  I want to live in the time in which I have been placed.  I think that we are each born into the season in which we belong, and it's up to us to find our place in it.  I just see so many people who don't enjoy their lives, and I often feel that need to play a martyr or get too wrapped up in being busy, and I'm wondering how right that really is.   I don't want to be so busy that I don't have a life to enjoy.  Jesus had a job and a ministry, but he still found time to meet people, have friends and experience life on earth....

Since today has been an incredibly busy day, and I want to go watch So You THink You Can Dance rather than sit in front of the computer, I figured that I'd continue as I did last Wednesday and let you hear the music that has been stuck in my head this week...

This week The Wallflowers.... Unfortunately you're on your own with this one.....  No video, no music, just words... and if I ever discover if I can upload from iTunes I will, but it won't be tonight....  You can go here to find a free link to listen....