Muttering Again

Thought I would give Unconscious Mutterings another try:

1. Up :: Up and away, in my beautiful balloon (5th dimension)
   


2. Scram! :: and I mean it
   


3. Smell :: Ooo ooo that smell, can't you smell that smell, ooo ooo that smell, the smell of death's around you (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
   


4. Belong :: You belong to me, tell her you were fooling (Carly Simon)
   


5. Doug :: My brother in law
   


6. Collar :: ring around the
   


7. Squirrel :: I love squirrels!
   


8. Chinese :: food, we had it for dinner : )
   


9. Tracker :: drawing a blank!
   


10. Apartment :: I have lived in several over the course of my life.

Eh, still find this muttering thing kind of lame. It isn't enlightening me, only shows that I usually have a song in my head ; )

A Christmas Letter from Jesus

Yikes, another month has passed me by and my blog remains neglected. I always have so many things swirling in my head that I want to write about, but this time management thing throws me for a loop. Minutes and hours tick by so fast, days turn into weeks. Blah, blah, blah, excuse, excuse, excuse.

So anyway, there is a post going around on the web, I don't know who wrote it, but it has been sent to me by different people, and I like what it says. So I am stealing it and posting it here.

Letter from Jesus about Christmas

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish. I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary--especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest.

Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays?

I hate to even start blogging about Christmas topics when Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet, but if you watch TV or get mass emails, than you know that CHRISTMAS IS ALREADY HERE!

I have already begun to receive the mass emails regarding "Keeping Christ in Christmas". Now when I was a more rabid Christian, I forwarded those emails with abandon myself. We must make sure the world knows that Christmas is only about Christ, mustn't we? I must make sure I push my views on the rest of the world, mustn't I?

I have really mellowed about a lot of things in recent years. On things like "Keeping Christ in Christmas" I'd just follow the crowd, and wouldn't really even think about what I was doing or saying. I've begun to be more aware of what I believe, say and do lately, and I try am trying to live that out. So with that said:

What the hell is wrong with saying Happy Holidays? The word Holiday is just a mutated version of the term Holy Days. In a search of Holy days for all religions in the month of December here is what I found:

December 6

Saint Nicholas Day (Christian)

December 8

Bodhi Day (Buddhism)
Celebrates the date when Prince Gautama sat under the Bodhi tree, vowing to remain there until he attained supreme enlightenment

Immaculate Conception of Mary (Catholic Christian)
Honors the belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, was preserved from original sin all of her life

December 12

Hanukkah begins (Jewish) *
Festival of lights and re dedication; continues through December 19

December 18

Al-Hijra (Islam)
The first day of the Muslim year; commemorates the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina

December 21

Yule (Pagan)
Winter Solstice; celebration of the rebirth of the sun

December 24

Christmas Eve (Christian)
A celebration the night before the commemoration of the birth of Jesus

December 25

Christmas (Christian)
Celebrates the birth of Jesus

Feast of the Nativity (Orthodox Christian)
Celebrates the birth of Jesus

December 26

Kwanzaa begins (African American)
Seven day celebration of family, heritage and harvest, ends January 1

Saint Stephen's Day (Catholic Christian)
Commemorates Saint Stephens the first Christian martyr

December 27

Holy Family (Catholic Christian)
Celebration of the family of Jesus

December 28

Holy Innocents (Anglican Christian)
Commemorates the slaughter of male infants in Bethlehem during Herod the Greats attempt to kill the infant Jesus

December 31

New Year's Eve

Wow, lookie, it isn't only Christians celebrating HOLY days in the month of December. There might be Jews out buying presents for Hanukkah, or even a Wiccan buying someone a Solstice present. (Do Wiccans give presents for the Solstice?) Regardless, Christians just do not have the lock on buying in December. People of all creeds are out and about doing their thing and maybe they don't want to hear "Merry Christmas" every single time they check out in a store. I don't think I'd be too happy if I had to hear "Happy Ramadan" every time I went out, in whatever month Ramadan is celebrated. (I'm not ignorant, the month changes every year!) I also wouldn't want to be assaulted with Happy Hanukkah, because I'M NOT JEWISH!

When did Christians go from being loving and caring and spreading THE GOOD NEWS to bullies? Isn't it bullying when we threaten to boycott stores for not saying Merry Christmas? Stores don't only sell to Christians, yet Christians seem to think they should. Also, really, how many of the people out buying presents and celebrating Christmas are even Christians, by Christian standards anyway? I know a lot of Atheists and agnostics and non practicing Christians who celebrate Christmas. They celebrate for Santa Claus and gift giving. Do Christians really think that causing a ruckus and spreading toxic emails makes those who barely nod in Christ's direction on Christmas feel closer to him? Or make them want to go to church? No, it makes them want to get farther away from those who call themselves "Christians", because they don't see the love, or the caring, or the spreading of the good news, they see bullies promoting their agenda. Christ didn't call us to go into the world and demand that shop clerks wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Christ didn't even command us to celebrate Christmas. Christians co-opted a pagan holiday (the solstice) and Christianized it. Most Historians don't even think Christ was born in December.

Now after saying all that, I have to say, I love Christmas. I love everything about it. The songs, the food, the music, the fact that most people seem to be friendlier and kinder during December than most other months. The fact that we celebrate the birth of our Savior. There IS a special feeling in the air during Christmas. So why don't those of us who consider ourselves Christians spread that joy around and stop focusing on the negative. Wish people Merry Christmas and if they wish you a Happy Holidays they are still giving you a greeting, a wish for a Happy Holy Day, which Christians consider Christmas to be. Maybe if we stop being so negative, and nit picking everything the world does, and allow others to live the lives they have chosen to live, and go about living the life Christ asked us to, maybe then others will begin to actually see the Christ in us and then the Christ in Christmas. And it wouldn't be because it was shoved down their throat. It might just be because they saw something, something in us that they wanted a piece of. The joy and love.

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.

~O Holy Night~

Halloween

Short and Sweet......just a few pictures to commemorate Halloween 2009:

Our front yard/graveyard. Dad even bought us a fog machine : )



Our Puking Pumpkin. He also has a head wound.....see what alcohol will do to you?



My Evil, Mad Scientist Daughter....not sure who her victim is!



My oldest daughters Jack Skellington Pumpkin...and moms traditional one



My garden pigs, dressed for the occasion

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown~

How my sinuses have stalled my blogging!

When I first started blogging my intent was to record some events that have happened in my life, get some things off my chest and hopefully get my very opinionated opinion out into the "world". I miss blogging! I have now figured out why I have hardly blogged in over 2 months: I have been sick! Yes, I know I have been sick, I have been battling a sinus infection thingy for over 2 months. But it wasn't until today, whilst talking with my very compassionate doctor, that I realized just how an infection can wreak havoc on one's body.

I have had a general malaise about me for months. My sinus symptoms started in late July. At first I thought it was allergies, we've had lots of rain and I thought maybe the mold was getting to me. I let it go for about a month before I visited my doctor. I went to see her in late August. She said my head was "full" and it looked like a sinus infection and gave me antibiotics. After a few days my symptoms seemed to be clearing up, I felt better and could almost breathe again. But a few days after I stopped the antibiotics, the symptoms came back with a vengeance. Right side completely plugged up, no sniffling, breathing or blowing, just stuck. Pressure in my sinus cavity and behind my eyes, headache, feeling blah. I waited a few days and called my doc, who decided I needed another round of good old antibiotics. This time they did nothing. I knew I had a physical coming up, so instead of paying another co-pay and going in to my doctor, I decided to suffer for the last 2 weeks whilst waiting for today's appt. Not really a smart move on my part.

So today I go for my physical. Yes, I still have a raging sinus infection. Not good seeing as I already had 2 rounds of antibiotics. Yes, any kind of infection raging in ones system can make one weak and fatigued ALL THE TIME! Yes, it made perfect sense that I complained of feeling like crap ALL THE TIME. No, I should not have waited another 2 weeks before coming in and getting stronger meds, ooops.

So now I have a really strong, really expensive antibiotic and a steroid. 5 days of steroids and 5 days of antibiotics. Both will stay in my system for 10 days, after which if I am not 100% better I was told to call my doctor ASAP for further evaluation. I am really hoping this does the trick. I have never had sinus issues like this before. I feel like I could sleep until Christmas.

And I miss my blog. As I lay in bed each night gasping for air through my mouth, I have all these wonderful ideas of things to blog about. But alas, morning comes and I am exhausted before I leave my bed and it just goes downhill from there. The only reason I have been able to blog this right now was because of an injection of Reese's Peanut butter cups and iced tea ; ) Sugar and caffeine, it does a body good.

When the head aches, all the body is the worse.
~English Proverb~

My Daughter the High Schooler

Oh my poor little neglected blog, it's been so long since I've been here.

Life has been crazy lately. It's funny, because people always ask homeschoolers how they do it, how do they have enough time, not go crazy, etc., etc. I'm now wondering how people survive with their kids IN school!

My eldest daughter (Carley) started high school August 24th. We haven't done the school thing since she was in 2nd grade. I forgot how tiring it is. Getting up, making lunches, getting to school on time, getting picked up and to other activities, doing homework, getting to bed, starting all over again the next day. Yuck, I hate it. But she seems to be liking it, at least that what she's telling us right now. She doesn't like the kids, but she really likes the classes. At least most of them. Even gym class. It's only been a few weeks, so the novelty hasn't really worn off yet, but time will tell I suppose. She knows she can quit whenever she wants, I'd really rather have her at home. I miss her. And so does her sister, but she'd never admit it.

I know this is a good experience for her, she needs to be out in the world a bit more. But the false reality of a high school just sends shivers up my spine. It's not that I hated high school. I liked some of my classes, I loved seeing my friends, but I hated being told what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. By senior year I hated being there so much I went on the work release program. I was done with school by 11:00 am and I was able to leave and go to work. Like a real person. Not a subject forced to remain in servitude to the establishment until they ok'd my release.

But I know it's not about me now, it's about her, and what she wants. Maybe because she hasn't been forced to be in schools all these years she has a greater appreciation for education, and she's willing to put up with the nonsense to get what she wants out of the experience. I hope she continues to enjoy it and I hope she can learn in spite of the nonsense that is the institution. I just hope I finally adjust to the changes in my life and routine. Right now it's giving me a headache ; )

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught.
~Oscar Wilde~
"The Critic as Artist," 1890

Late Saturday Night Muttering

I'm going to give this muttering thing one more chance. If this weeks words are as sucky as they have been lately, I just may have to give up trying to explore my unconscious!

1. Memo :: Didn't you get the memo?
   


2. Copy :: machine
   


3. Office :: supplies


4. Stapler :: another piece of office equipment
   


5. Paycheck :: Wish I got one ( a big one!)
   


6. Watercooler :: I'd like one in my house
   


7. Desk :: I have a small one
   


8. Human :: nature
   


9. Resort :: I want to go to one on a beach someplace warm!
   


10. Boss :: I want to be my own

Hmm, not sure I care for office words. This could be my big farewell to muttering. We'll see how next weeks words look. Care to mutter yourself?

Weddings

I see it's been a week since I posted to my poor neglected blog. My step-daughter got married on Saturday, so I was little busy last week making sure me and hubby and our two girls would be dressed appropriately. As for me, after visiting almost every woman's clothing store in northern IL, I ended up wearing the first dress I bought. Could have saved myself a lot of time and aggravation, but at least now I know there is nothing out there in retail land that looks good on me, hmph!

So back to the wedding. It was lovely. Raina (my step-daughter) had originally planned on having a large, elaborate wedding this December. It was becoming a much larger event than she had hoped for, so early last spring they (her and her fiance, Erik) decided to make it a "family and close friends event only" and moved it to Erik's family's home and moved it up to July. I think there were probably 40 people total in attendance, including the entire bridal party. It was still very elegant and formal and everyone seemed to have a nice time.

Here's a picture of the lovebirds:



I never had a wedding. I moved out of my parents home and eventually in with my boyfriend (now hubby). Then I got pregnant, LOL. When you do things backwards, a big wedding is a bit redundant. John and I got married at the courthouse in March, and we had a backyard pig roast reception in August. When I look back, a wedding would have been nice, but with age comes wisdom and it really is an awful lot of money to spend on a party. We spent an awful lot of money just going to Raina's wedding. She wanted us in pictures, plus her dad had to walk her down the aisle, so we spent a pretty penny making sure we'd all look up to snuff.

My sister had a big wedding. My parents were paying for it so they got to call the shots. It was nice, about 100 people, at a country club. I do remember it being a lot of fun. But a few years later I remember my sister saying she wished she had been given money for a down-payment on a house instead of a wedding. The novelty wears off. Yes, you have nice pictures, but she says she barely remembers the day, having to run around and talk to people and thanking them for coming, and making sure everything was done properly.

I'm not dissing weddings. If someone has the money, go for it. Weddings can be a lot of fun and certainly special to the couple involved. But I don't think people should go into hock to give their kids a wedding. And given the choice, I think kids nowadays should think realistically, what is more important, a big wedding or a place to live? Just a few weeks ago my youngest and I were out running errands and we saw this girl on the side of the road with a sign that said: "Car Wash, Help Us Pay For Our Wedding". If you need to hold a car wash to pay for your wedding, maybe you should just go to the courthouse. (They actually made it into our local paper.)

John and I have two other daughters, so obviously the wedding thing will come up for us again. We got lucky this time, Raina and her fiance wanted to pay for their own wedding. I think my own girls are a bit more relaxed about the wedding thing. Neither is really a girlie girl and they don't have romantic notions of a prince charming and a fairy tale wedding. I was talking with my youngest about her dad having to wear a fancy suit to Raina's wedding and how he wished he could wear a Hawaiian shirt. That's our kind of wedding. Catherine said we could wear Hawaiian shirts to her wedding : )

In my dreams, one day before we die, my hubby and I will renew our vows on a beach somewhere. He can wear one of those Miami style suits, a white cotton, breezy suit with a Hawaiian shirt underneath, and I can find some kind of flowy summer dress, and we can both be barefoot. Maybe our kids will be there, maybe some grand kids. We could go out and eat lobster afterwards. That's my kind of wedding.

One look
One smile
One touch
One embrace
One kiss
One love
Two people
Two minds
Two souls
Two destinies
One road
One journey
One ending
Together.

- Melissa Higgins -

More Monday Morning Muttering

Seems I have been too busy to keep up with Saturday night muttering (that's when the list comes to my email). So here I am with another Monday morning muttering.

1. Banter :: Talking back and forth
   


2. Amazing :: life is pretty much, isn't it?
   


3. Towel :: Love a big fluffy one
   


4. Cinema :: Movie theater
   


5. Newspaper :: try to read one everyday
   


6. Not good :: Obama as president
   


7. My type :: of what? man? food? blood?
   


8. Twinkle :: twinkle, little star....yum a twinkie!
   


9. Actress :: I wanted to be one when I was little
   


10. Daft :: are you crazy?

These words are getting lame. Maybe I should come up with my own.

Want to mutter with these words? lunanina

Want to give me a new list? Feel free to post it in my comments and I'll mutter with them : )

Other People's Blogs

I stumbled upon this woman's blog a while back and I just love her writing. She says so much of what I'd like to say if I was only a better writer. She writes of coming out of patriarchy, among other things, (particularly about being a mom and her kids), but I really like her religion/God posts the best. I really agreed with this post and thought I'd share.

Oh, and this is a good one too!