Category Archives: Stray thoughts

Laudable Linkage

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Before I share with you some interesting stuff I’ve seen around this week, I have a question. I view most of the blogs I read through Google Reader, and many blog posts have ads there that are not on the blog – but not all of them. Is there some kind of agreement between blog owner and Google about ads or does Google place them at their discretion?

  • Semicolon is compiling a survey of top 100 hymns and asks for input: more info. here.
  • If you like Facebook for keeping up with friends but don’t like the “clutter” of seeing who took what quiz and who is a fan of what, Jeremy has found an add-on to streamline  it.
  • Susanne at Living to Tell the Story shared this awesome web site called The Infinire Photograph that coule keep a person occupied for hours. Very creative, beautiful photography — a photo made up of hundreds of smaller photos from around the world.
  • I discovered a neat new blog called Quoth She. Each post is just a beauitful photograph and a quote. It’s a pleasant spot in the blogosphere.
  • Normally I am not a fan of mushrooms, but this one is just too cute.
  • It’s that time of year — there are some great inexpensive gift ideas for grads (in the comments) and teachers (more links at the end of the page.)
  • David Hosaflook has a thoughtful, balanced post about Alcohol on the Mission Field — things to think about if your conviction is not to drink but the culture you’re in allows for it.
  • The Common Room has a post about Strong-Willed Children with some good thoughts that are probably counter to what you may have heard before on the subject.
  • Ivman has another list of Tom Swifties, such as “‘I forgot what to pick up at the store,’ said Tom listlessly” and “”That’s the last time I’ll pet a lion,’ said Tom offhandedly.”
  • Finally, Lizzie at A Dusty Frame linked to this cute video of a couple married 62 years playing a piano duet.

So much for the deep thoughts…

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They’re going to have to simmer on the back burner a little while longer…Meanwhile here are a couple of things you might enjoy.

Seen at wanderingheart designs:

Your rainbow is shaded white.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What is says about you: You are a contemplative person. You appreciate quiet moments. People depend on you to make them feel secure.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

The graph above is supposed to have several rows of colored stripes, but they keep disappearing. I am more contemplative and love quiet moments.

funny pictures of cats with captions

funny

funny

Assorted Thoughts and 20 Favorite Things

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  • I noticed my last post was my 1,500th. I should celebrate or something!
  • Karla Dornacher, whose artwork and books I love, is giving away this gift basket around 4 p.m. May 20.KarlaIsn’t it lovely? See this post if you’re interested in winning it.
  • I mentioned we were celebrating Mother’s Day yesterday since last weekend was full with graduation and company. My family gave me some books I’d wanted (Yay!) and some gift cards (Yay!) and a Wii Fit, which I’d been wanting. We had a lot of fun with it yesterday. Jason thinks the novelty will wear off in a couple of weeks, but the more you do, the more new exercises you “unlock,” so that’s probably designed to keep interest stimulated. Plus, even though Jim and the boys cooked dinner last week, they did again this week. I know, I’m spoiled.
  • I feel like a lot of my posts over the last few weeks have been kind of lightweight due to all the other events going on. I really do have some Deep Thoughts that I hope to delve into over the next few weeks.
  • I need to find a way to dictate posts while in the shower. I do some of my best thinking in there.
  • There is absolutely nothing extra-curricular on the schedule this week, and I love it. Now is an opportunity to get to all those other things I’ve been wanting to. But I’m not sure where to start. I think maybe I’ll work on organizing some of my craft stuff. There have been a few times I wanted to do a quick something but couldn’t because I couldn’t find which drawer I had something stashed in. Curtain-making is on the agenda as well, hopefully soon — I am still undecided about trim and need to go to the next town to look at some. Sadly, most of the fabric stores have closed here — even Wal-Mart doesn’t carry fabric or trims any more.

Finally, I saw this at Mama Bear‘s, but it is originally from The Simple Woman:

20 Favorite Things

1. Color…pink
2. Dessert… devil’s food cake with chocolate fudge icing
3. Smell… something baking or the scent outside a steakhouse (makes my mouth water!!)
4. Flower… pink roses
5. Animal… dog I guess — I am not much of an animal lover.
6. Month… December maybe? There is something I like about most of them.
7. Beverage… decaf Diet Pepsi
8. Pair of shoes… simple black flats
9. Snack… sweet: chocolate chip cookies; salty: sour cream and onion potato chips
10. Song… too many to have one favorite! Hymn: “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” is one favorite as is “Be Thou My Vision“; old song: “Someone to Watch Over Me” or “The Way You Look Tonight.” Irish folk song: “Star of the County Down,” especially the King’s Singer’s version.
11. Book… the Bible
12. Fruit…bananas
13. Hairstyle- shoulder length, turned under
14. Piece of clothing… this is a hard one…I guess a lightweight seersucker dress I like to wear when the weather is warm…or the pink dress I wore to graduation. That’s my favorite “nice” dress.
15. Store to clothes shop…Cato’s
16. Season…spring or fall
17. Hobby… reading
18. Thing to collect…heart-shaped things, Boyd’s Bear figurines
19. Movie…Little Women — the Wynona Ryder version
20. Restaurant…Cracker Barrel

Feel free to join in, and let me know if you do!

Computer woes

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I was all set to post more about graduation day and our celebratory dinner last night when some strange things started popping up on my computer — some fake spyware thing added several files. I ran the virus scan and it dealt with several of them, but something is still wrong — my computer now crashes in anything but safe mode. 😦

My computet wiz son worked on it til the wee hours this morning and is now backing up files and reinstalling windows — hopefully that will work! meanwhile I am using my husband’s antique old computer, but I don’t have access to my pictures from here.

I’m so glad Jeremy’s here and knows what to do! Hope to be back in action soon!

Odds and ends

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  • Did you see The Amazing Race last Sunday, when one teamed missed out on the finals because of a bathroom break? That so would have been me. My family is very patient with my need to stop! In fairness, this girl had chugged down 4 bottles of water to try and wash down fried scorpions and larvae and other assorted gross stuff she had to eat. That team had overcome so much, I was so hoping they’d make it — especially as one girl on the team that did make it is one of the rudest people I have ever seen and I was hoping she’d be elimnated.
  • Jason’s Baccalaureate service was this last Sunday. I had forgotten the joy of singing hymns with 4,000 or so other people. If that was wonderful…I’m wondering what it will be like singing with all the saints in heaven?
  • The guest speaker was a pastor from West Ghana whom we knew years ago when he came to the US to study, so that was a pleasant surprise. I did have a harder time understanding him, though, than I did back then — may have something to do with the sound system, I don’t know. Plus he hadn’t been back in the US for a while so he was probably more heavily accented than when we knew him. But I enjoyed hearing him.
  • We’ve been “cleaning for company” this week as Jason’s fiancee and her mom were coming. Funny how having someone over spurs a cleaning frenzy. When Jeremy was little and we were cleaning before someone came over, he asked, “Why do we want them to think we’re cleaner than we are?’ 😳 I tried to explain that this is really how clean it should be all the time. I usually get all those things done — just not all at the same time!
  • The teen fellowship we hosted a few weeks ago actually ended up helping. Many things, of course have had to be redone even before now, but some of the heavier-duty stuff wasn’t too bad since they were so recently done.
  • Jason’s fiancee, Mittu, did get in late last night and we were all up til after 1 a.m. — then I had to get up at 5 this morning. So I am definitely going to need a nap some time today.
  • Her mom comes in later this week. I’m a little nervous about meeting her for the first time, but I found out she is, too. We’ve talked on the phone before, and she has much, much more of an Indian accent than Mittu does, and I really have to concentrate to understand her — but maybe in person that will be easier, and being around each other more will help, I’m sure.
  • I’m enjoying catching up on wedding plans but am reminded of how stressful all that can be, especially when you have multiple varied opinions. I’m pretty much only offering mine when asked, as she has so much of that to deal with already. Jim only half-jokingly offered them $1,000 to elope, but I don’t think her family would ever forgive us if they did.
  • Jason has applied to grad school but hasn’t heard back yet. He does have a job lined up and a pretty good lead on an apartment that will be available in August, so things are coming together. I am glad they’re going to be close by for a while.
  • This Sunday is Mother’s Day already! We’ve been so focused on graduation that Mother’s Day crept up on us. We tend to do up holidays pretty big and would be willing to just postpone what we normally do, but with Jim’s mom and Mittu’s mom here, that may not be a good idea, either.
  • Mother’s Day is one of the times I miss my mom the most. For the first year or two I couldn’t go into a Hallmark store anywhere near May when they had all the Mother’s Day things out. I can now. I thought I’d share this clip of Il Divo singing “Mama” as a tribute. I can’t say, as the song does, I owe it all to Mom: I owe it all to the Lord. But I am so grateful for my mom’s love and support and belief in me.

So what is this I’m eating?

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So what is this I'm eating?

I noticed this “ad” on my egg carton one day and was a little taken aback. The eggs I was scrambling certainly looked natural! 🙂

It goes on to explain that the “natural” eggs came from hens fed a certain diet. Still, I am looking at these a little more suspectly…

Photo Scavenger Hunt and Laudable Linkage

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I started to make these two separate posts, and then I thought….Why? Sometimes if I post twice in one day, only the top one gets seen. So — feel free to peruse whichever part you might be interested in!

photohunters2mo1.gif

Theme: Purple | Become a Photo Hunter

I haven’t done the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt in a long while…either I didn’t have time to visit the others participating, or I just drew a blank with the topic. But the theme this week is “Purple,” and while this is more lavender that purple, I think it’s related enough to count:

Hydrangea

This was taken last June. The hydrangeas are starting to get green leaves now but won’t bloom for a while yet.

You can visit TN Chick‘s place on Saturday for more posts of purple pictures.

Here are some interesting things seen around the ‘net lately:

  • The Common Room also has a good post that runs counter to what you often hear about decorating when there is a man in the house. Bottom line: talk about it, don’t make assumptions one way or another. My husband has often said the walls would probably be bare if he lived alone, but he likes the personal decorating touches that make it “home.”
  • Organizing Junkie has a few links to different kinds of master grocery shopping lists. I have been needing to make one, but I think I’ll try one or two of these. I so often end up going twice a week (or more!) to the store or discovering after I’ve shopped that I’ve forgotten something, and I’d like to get that more under control.
  • Encouraging Caregivers linked to an article about how caring for parents and children differs, though there are some similarities. One difference I’ve found that wasn’t mentioned is that, with children, you have the expectation that their learning curve will grow along with them, that as you teach and model how to act, they’ll learn, and they’ll improve in the area of hygiene, manners, etc. With elderly parents it is just the opposite: it is likely going to get worse. It’s just one of those things you have to accept and work with, but is a factor, and realizing that helped relieve a bit of frustration.
  • Nancy Wilson at Femina had many good posts this week: a convicting yet instructive one on self control; how preventative prayer can help ward off wrong reactions and prepare you to deal with problems in a more godly way (I did this earlier this week, praying Colossians 1:11 when walking into a situation I knew was going to try my patience); and the importance of setting things right in relationships as soon as possible. A favorite quote from the last:

To illustrate this principle, my husband uses the example of a home where things are picked up compared to a home where things are knee deep. In both homes people drop things on the floor. But in the one home they are picked up right away. In the other home, things accumulate until you just can’t even see the floor and you have no idea where or how to begin. In the first home, having a pick-up policy not only keeps the house clean, but it acts as a a deterrent on how much stuff is dropped. Of course no home will be perfect. Things get dropped and can be picked up every day. But if you let things pile up, you can hit the point where you just don’t care anymore. And many people just walk away rather than face the consequences of picking up years of junk.

The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we step out and begin to seek forgiveness for specific offenses, God will bring more to mind. As we keep confessing, He scrubs off the layers of dirt, we experience real cleansing, and our hearts are washed.We are restored, put right with God and put right with one another.

Appearances

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Have you seen the video seen round the world, Susan Boyle’s surprising performance in Britain’s Got Talent?

What a magnificent voice! And what a sweet little lady she seems to be. Diane has some more information on her here: evidently she suffered a bit of brain damage at birth, has been taking care of her mother for years, was unable to sing for two years since her mother’s death, and went on the show because her mother had wanted her to.

But as fun as the “Cinderella story” is, I am just appalled at the audience’s initial reaction and at the reports that Susan was picked on as a child. Think of the utter ridicule she would have suffered on that stage if she had not had a good voice — and how sad it would be that people would think such ridicule is justified. Why, with all the emphasis on tolerance in the last several years, has society missed the most basic tolerance that people should be valued because we are all created in God’s image whether we’re “beautiful” by society’s standards or young or old or talented or not or whatever.

I appreciate and agree with the article Diane linked to, The Beauty That Matters Is Always Inside by Colette Douglas Home of The Herald, especially the last two paragraphs.