Heather‘s daughter, Emma Grace. whom many of you know, appears to be in heart failure or rejection of her transplanted heart. This family has been through the mill with Emma’s illnesses and Heather’s cancer and I am sure they would appreciate all the prayer they can get.
Category Archives: Stray thoughts
Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Self or part of self
Theme: Self or part of self | Become a Photo Hunter
Well, we’re supposed to show a picture of ourselves or a part of ourselves today. Brace yourselves!
😀
Seriously, though, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking through digital photos. Some of my family members have neat artsy shots of an eyebrow or part of their faces, and I almost used one of theirs. I almost used a picture from when I looked a lot better younger. But I clicked around on a few of the photo hunters that had already posted Friday night, and I really enjoyed getting to see people I have been interacting with for months. So in that spirit, I am posting the regular size of the picture over in my sidebar. It’s from Mother’s Day ’06.
The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt is sponsored by TN Chick.
Thursday Thirteen: I could teach lessons in grocery bagging
I have never worked in a grocery store, but I have shopped in them for over 30 years and I know what bagging issues cause problems by the time a shopper gets home. I know sometimes it’s busy and there is a long line at the check out and the mentality is “just get them bagged up and outta here asap.” That will usually make for problems. I have bagged my own groceries before when no one else was available and I know it doesn’t really take a lot of extra time to bag thoughtfully. So if I could teach Grocery Bagging 101, here would be some of my key points:
1. Do not put raw meat in the same bag with things that will not be cooked, like produce and lunch meat and cheese. Personally I prefer raw meat be put in its own bag all alone. I don’t know why, with all the warnings about raw meat right there on the label, it’s packaged in a way that blood leaks out. We don’t stand for leakage with any other product, why raw meat? Some companies are changing their packages, and I hope that trend spreads. But meanwhile, we don’t want to cross-contaminate bloody meat with fresh foods.
2. Don’t put soft things (like bananas and bread) in the same bag with hard things (cans). The soft things will get squished or bruised.
3. Not too many items are packaged in glass any more, but don’t put glass bottles in the same bag together. They clink together when the bags are picked up and can break. We had a glass bottle of apple juice break in the back of our car once. Not fun.
4. Don’t put a lot of heavy things (i.e., cans) into one bag, even if you double bag them. What a healthy 19-year-old guy can easily move from the check-out to the cart and the cart to my car takes more effort for me to move from my car through two rooms and up seven steps to the kitchen.
5. On the other hand, I’ve had multitudes of bags with just one or two items in them, and that’s a waste of resources.
6. Don’t put anything cold in the bag with anything that might be damaged by condensation (i.e., cardboard boxes). Condensation does occur even on a short drive home.
7. It helps to have frozen foods packaged together — they keep each other cold.
8. The same is true with refrigerated items.
9. I don’t necessarily want to trade life stories or become best friends over the canned green beans and paper towels, but I don’t want to be totally ignored, either. A friendly greeting or some kind of acknowledgment does wonders. (Incidentally, I feel the same holds true on the other side of the counter. I hate to see customers chatting on cell phones all through their checkout.)
10. On the job in front of customers is not the best time to gripe about your job, boss, coworkers, customers, etc. It’s not the best time to flirt with the cute cashier, either.
11. If you can’t talk and work at the same time — work. 🙂
12. If you are sent to retrieve something (say, a package of something was broken open and you are sent for a replacement), if you don’t know where the item is, ask someone right away rather than roaming around looking while the customer and checkout line is being held up waiting for you.
13. Smile! 🙂 Act like you enjoy your job, even if it is “just” a grocery store job, and it will do wonders for your customers, your coworkers, and yourself. And your boss will notice.
I hope this doesn’t sound like just the rantings of an grouchy customer. You may see hundreds of customers a day (and many of them can be less than fun, I know — I have worked in retail sales), but they only interact with a handful of workers. If they have a negative experience with any one of them it reflects on the individual and the business. Plus industriousness, attention to detail, and some amount of people skills will serve you well in any job.
You can join in Thursday Thirteening here at the T13 Hub.
This and that
- Do you ever feel that, once this event or that obligation is over, then things will get back to “normal” and you can get other things done. And then on the horizon is the next event or obligation. And then you begin to wonder if maybe this is normal? 🙂
- Thanks for all your thoughts and kind words in regard to my mom yesterday.
- We had a nice day yesterday, with lots of great food and plenty of leftovers for lunch today! Jim had suggested going to a park, but I felt the parks would probably be crowded yesterday. Yet reading about all the folks who went somewhere yesterday almost makes me feel maybe we should have. I’m not a fan of packing up food just to go cook it somewhere else just to eat outside…and with the kids being older, there’s not the fun of letting them play on the playground or watching them feed ducks, etc. I wish we had done one of the suggestions on the link about observing Memorial Day that I posted yesterday — finding information about one person who gave their life for our country and reading about him or her to the kids, to personalize what we’re observing. But I didn’t see that early enough to prepare for it. I hope to next year.
- Jesse just finished school Friday, so this feels like the first day of summer vacation to me. I haven’t quite fathomed that my youngest is now a high school freshman! :O
- Jesse is (im)patiently waiting for me to get done with the computer and came to see if I was nearly done. While waiting he was bent over reading what I was writing, and I whispered, “I don’t like people reading over my shoulder.” He said, “I wasn’t reading over your shoulder. I was reading beside you.” Smart aleck!! 😀
- I love the more laid back pace of summer (especially not having to set the alarm clock!) but it always takes a few days to adjust to everyone being home and the higher noise level and the loss of solitude. None of the rooms in our house closes off from the others except the bedrooms and bathrooms, so from here in the sunroom where the computer is or the living room or kitchen, I can hear the cartoons or video games from the family room. Plus one of my sons is just loud!! And constantly making noise!
- Everyone is traveling somewhere over the summer — a couple of them out of the country! — except me. I’m a homebody who doesn’t like to travel, so I don’t mind at all being the one to “stay by the stuff” and “keep the home fires burning.” I will probably say more about those travels after they occur. I don’t think any cyberstalkers are paying attention to me, but, still, I’d rather play it safe.
- I need to sit down and make a list of things I want to get done this summer. Much as I like the more laid-back pace, it is very easy to just drift through the days and get nothing of consequence accomplished.
One of the biggest changes for us will be that my mother-in-law will be moving here from Idaho to stay in an assisted living facility. She can’t live alone any more and all the family is leaving the area there one by one. We don’t want her in a facility there because we wouldn’t really know how she is doing — she is one who says everything is “fine” because she doesn’t want anyone to worry, no matter what is going on. Plus there would be no one there to visit her. Out of all her kids, our family has the most time available, plus the cost of such facilities is much lower here than out in CA where Jim’s brother is.
At first she did not want to move at all, understandably. She’s been in ID some 35 years or so, I think, so this is a big change, not to mention not being able to live independently any more. I am hoping and praying that it will not be too traumatic for her.
My husband visited several facilities in the area and found one he liked a lot. He went last week to make arrangements and sign papers. He took pictures to send to his mom, and asked one of the residents if he could take a picture of her garden area to send his mom. She readily agreed and said, “Tell her we’d love to have her!” The people there seem friendly, happy, and open, so that helps a lot. The administration seemed great and answered a lot of questions we had. The whole set-up seems really good. I think once she adjusts to the changes and gives it a chance, she will do well, but it is going to be an adjustment period for all of us.
One of the biggest adjustments for us will be that we have never lived near family. It has always been “feast or famine” in that regard — either far apart with occasional letters and phone calls, or a big trip with everyone visiting for several days. So just the time factor and the social obligations of having family nearby is something we’re not used to. Jim said we probably shouldn’t try to go over every day — that probably would not be good for us or for her. But we plan to pick her up for church on Sundays and then have her spend the day here, and I am sure we’ll be over several times during the week. We’ll juts have to play it by ear for a while. I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit I am a little apprehensive about several factors, but we fell this is what the Lord would have us do, so we can trust for His wisdom and grace.
With these new changes I am contemplating whether I should lay aside some of the other things I am doing, particularly a couple of the other smaller ministries at church. That’s one of the things I need to sit down and think through. Maybe we’ll just see how it goes for a while.
Well, Jesse has been very good and patient, and I need to let him have his “turn” at the computer now. 🙂 Have a good day!
Booking Through Thursday: Books vs. movies
The Booking Through Thursday question for today is:
Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?
I think the biggest difference is that you can get more depth from a book. You don’t expect to finish it in 2-3 hours, so there is more time to explore backgrounds, connections, implications, meanings. And because it lasts longer there is more time to enjoy it. As a general rule, reading a book is a much richer experience than watching a movie.
Another difference is that reading a book is usually a solitary experience. You can discuss it with others after (or during) reading it, and to me that increases the enjoyment and learning from it, but the actual reading of it is something you pretty much have to do alone. That’s not a bad thing in itself, but sometimes you want the shared experience of watching a movie together.
A movie also has visual impact. Though my imagination is at work when I am reading, stunning scenic visuals or subtle empressions can greatly enhance what is going on in a movie — and conversely, if the scenes are too dark or obscure or the characters are lacking in expression, the visual impact lessens the enjoyment.
Though this question is more about comparing the two types of media and not about books translated into movies as we previously discussed in the Celluloid edition, if I see a movie based on a book I have read, I am often disappointed at the changes made or the scenes left out. If I am watching it with someone who is not familiar with the story, I feel I need to supplement what we’re watching with what I remember from the book because they’re just not getting the whole picture, the full impact, the subtleties. Sometimes that is welcome; sometimes it’s not. 🙂 But if I am watching a movie based on a book I have not read, if I enjoyed it, quite often I will seek out the book later on to get more of the story.
Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Candy
Theme: Candy | Become a Photo Hunter
My latest candy acquisition is one I showed recently since my middle son’s girlfriend gave it to me for Mother’s Day, but it fits and it’s cute, so I am showing it again. 🙂
She found it at Wal-Mart.
This is a 5 lb. bag of M&Ms.
It doesn’t look like 5 lbs., does it?
We used them to put into favors at our Ladies’ Luncheon last year. We also had some printed in words from the Bible that matched our theme (”The Heart of the Matter”) and coordinated with our theme colors (pink and chocolate brown):
You can see more interpretations of this week’s theme at TN Chick’s.
Booking Through Thursday: Manual Labor Redux
The Booking Through Thursday question for today is:
Following up last week’s question about reading writing/grammar guides, this week, we’re expanding the question….
Scenario: You’ve just bought some complicated gadget home . . . do you read the accompanying documentation? Or not?
Do you ever read manuals?
How-to books?
Self-help guides?
Anything at all?
I used to dutifully read every word of the manual that came with anything before doing anything else. But after awhile you get the first part of those things pretty well memorized (the safety issues, etc.), and finding just what you need to know often takes more time than just picking up the item and trying it. For most electrical appliances I’ll just skim over the manual for anything pertinent. For anything technological, I ask my sons. 🙂 If they or my husband weren’t here, I’d probably read the manual, or at least skim through it. I am just as likely these days to search the Internet: often you can find the exact answer to your exact question without having to search through pages of technical jargon.
When we were home schooling several years ago, I heard this kind of example used to discover what kind of learner you and your child are. Someone who would read the manual first would be a visual learner; someone who would want someone to show and tell him how to operate the device would be an auditory learner; someone who just started pushing buttons to figure them out would be a kinetic or tactile learner. My oldest academically oriented son was a visual learner, and he still teaches himself multitudes of things by reading. My middle son was a kinetic learner, and though to me it seemed easier to learn, say, measurements from the book, he “got it” much better (and enjoyed it more) by getting out measuring cups and pouring two 1/2 cups into 1 cup and 2 cups into a pint, etc. As for me — I think I am a combination with visual being primary. I learn different things better through different venues.
I do read self-help books, though, especially in the area of crafts and Christian living.
Quiz time!
I saw this one at Grams:
You Know Your States |
 You got 8/10 correct. You’ve got a pretty good handle on US geography. There’s a good chance you’ve visited at least a dozen of the fifty states. |
Geography isn’t my best subject, so I was glad i did that well! Like Grams, I’d love to know which ones I missed. I just stopped to calculate a little: I have lived in three states: SC, TX, and GA. I’ve visited ID, CA, AL, TN, FL, NV, UT, SD, LA, MS, and NC. Besides those, I have traveled through the states between SC and ID, but I don’t remember what route we took. We drove there I think once in our married lives and flew every time since. I’m most familiar with the Southeast, a little less with the Northwest, and pretty unfamiliar with the Northeast and Midwest.
I saw this one at Alice’s:
You Are 57% Creative |
 You are a quite creative person. You’re always involved in at least on interesting project. Keep it up and keep learning. Your creativity may bring you great things someday. |
I would have thought I would have scored a little higher on that one. Probably questions about breaking the rules (in creative projects, sometimes; in life in general, not so much) and taking life seriously and being reserved seem less “creative” to some.
And I saw this one at Alice‘s as well:
You Are Classical Music |
 You are a somewhat serious person who enjoys studying subjects deeply. Art of all kinds interests you, and a good piece of art can really effect you emotionally. You are inspired by human achievement, and you appreciate work that takes years to accomplish. For you, the finer things in life are not about snobbery – they’re about quality. |
Alice, we scored the same here! I think this was pretty accurate for me.
Thanks and an opportunity
Thanks to those who left encouraging words and/or prayed about my cold and the baby shower I mentioned the other day. The shower went very well, I think. Once I got started the nervousness fell away. The hour beforehand I made about twenty trips to the bathroom, though. 🙂 My cold was still there, and I took a cup of water, tissues, and a cough drop up with me “just in case,” but thankfully they weren’t needed. The Lord took care of all the other physical concerns and gave me time to think through and write out what I wanted to say the day before. I was very glad they had my part first! I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of it afterward.
I guess it might seem silly getting so nervous over a 5-10 minute devotional when some people face much greater challenges. But to me, that was a pretty big challenge!
My cold is still there but today is the first day I can say I actually feel better. I’ve been wiped out and draggy for a few days, but today is much better, though my throat is still a little sore.
The redness and swelling in my leg is still a factor as well, though it is also better. When I am at the computer or on my feet for a long time, it is worse: when I have my feet up for a while, it is better. I hope this isn’t the schedule for the rest of my life! It makes it kind of hard to get things done. I do enjoy those breaks throughout the day, but I’ve been needing to do some things in another town 35-40 minutes or so away that I don’t think I’d better try while this is going on.
I wanted to tell you about a giveaway at Blogged In Network. This is an outgrowth and development of the Family Friendly Network. They’re having a BloggedIn Bounty giveaway at the end of March — and the prize is a $100 Target gift card! Click on the button for more details. The contest is open to non-bloggers as well.
Now I am going to put my feet up again….
Stray thoughts
Thanks to those who prayed for the luncheon and my leg!
Everything went really well with the luncheon — everything came together nicely with all the scores of little details involved. The only glitch was the air conditioner. Only a few people are authorized to and have the knowledge to set it, and one of those was supposed to have pre-programmed it for our event, but it wasn’t working and none of us could figure out how to reset it. It was too warm, but not sweltering, so overall we were ok. Our speaker was great and brought out some meaty points to meditate on, the food was great and there was plenty of it, there was plenty of help for setting up and taking down, and as far as I know everyone seemed to enjoy it.
And I am glad and thankful to the Lord — and also glad it’s done for another year!! It’s one of those things I love, but there are aspects of it I dread. This one was not at all as labor intensive as others we have had, but there is still just a feeling of pressure til it is all successfully done.
We had decorated Friday night, then I had a few things to finish up when I got home (making the schedule, getting the checks ready, copying a few more programs, etc.), then I crashed on the couch, leaving the dinner dishes. Saturday morning I had to keep one eye on the clock but I do like to allow for a leisurely morning and plenty of time to get ready so I am not frantic and stressed before I begin. When I got home, hot and tired, I found my husband had cleaned up the kitchen, had the dishwasher running, and was out at the grocery store. Isn’t he a sweetie? It was so nice to have that stuff done. I did some laundry but otherwise just took the rest of the day easy, with Papa John’s pizza for dinner.
The last few days my leg has shown a marked improvement, and I know it is due to the Lord’s grace and your prayers. There is still a bit of redness, but it is not as bad and seems to fade more quickly when I get my feet back up.
I had an interesting experience Friday afternoon…I hadn’t gotten my spring and summer clothes out yet, and there was one dress in particular I wanted to wear for the luncheon. I didn’t have time to do the whole closet changeover from winter to summer, but I went up to the attic just to pull out a few things. Our attic ladder has always scared me because it has never seemed terribly sturdy. I never go up into the attic when I am home alone and always put my cell phone in my pocket ever since a neighbor fell through her attic and became paralyzed. I went up and gathered a few items of clothing and dropped them down the steps to the floor, then began climbing down. All of a sudden the bottom part of the ladder broke. Looking down, a nail had come mostly loose that held the second rung from the bottom into the sides. I was three rungs from the bottom, and though the ladder was still touching the floor, I didn’t think it had enough support to hold me, and it was a little too high for me to just jump. Even though it wasn’t that far, the balance and footing problems I still have as a result of the TM made it disorienting. I held on with one hand and dug my cell phone out, but everyone was outside doing some yard work…without their cell phones. After a short while I called for Jesse – his dad had asked him to do something outside and I figured he was probably done and had come back inside, and, thankfully, he was inside and heard me and went out to get Jim, who helped me down. Unfortunately as he checked around all the pre-made attic ladders were not the size we had, so he had to rebuild the bottom part. But I am still distrustful of the rest of it!!!
Then Jim had some kind of little bug this past week, with a fever, sore throat, congestion, headache, and nausea. He was trying not to pass it on to me, but Thursday I began having a sore throat and headaches. I thought, “Oh, no, please, not until after the banquet!” I realized I had been thinking that about my leg and other little issues, too, an thought, “Wait a minutes….I don’t want everything to hit when the banquet is over!” Thank the Lord, everything didn’t hit … I still have a bit of sore throat but overall feel pretty well. He’s doing better, too, though still not completely up to par.
This week I need to work on our monthly ladies ministry newsletter/booklet, due out Sunday (but has to be ready to be copied Friday since the church office is closed on Saturday) plus do a lot of catching up. A lot of my housework has just gotten by with spot cleaning here and there the last few weeks. My bathrooms need a thorough cleaning and there are a couple of stacks of clutter and a pile of mail I need to attend to. Plus my mind has been buzzing with different projects I want to get to — pulling out things that need to be given away, working on curtains for two rooms, some ideas for opening an Etsy shop, and various other things. I probably need to jot down all of those kinds of projects so I can prioritize and plan a little bit.
So it looks like I’ve got plenty to keep me busy! How about you? Hope you have a good week.
Stray Thoughts 
