Money

Whoever said "money is the root of all evil" was SO stinkin' right! Oh yeah, it's in the BIBLE!! Boy, that Paul, he was inspired . . . (wink, wink)

He actually said:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)

I guess we have to get over the "love" -- it's the human element that ruins it. Kinda like guns don't kill people, people kill people. However, on that one, I think if there were fewer guns available . . .

I'm in a weird place. It's been sort of a stressful week. We're in the middle of trying to buy a car and that's cool but I'm worried about whether it's the right decision. We currently have a Ford Expedition which was an awesome deal when we bought it but now it's just sucking gas like it's oxygen and, well, we can't really afford to KEEP it. We've been sort of test driving a Volvo S80 for a couple days. It's wonderful and we love it but our kids are used to the Expedition... blah, blah, blah. And last night, Mary mentioned that they're having a class ring information meeting this week. . . oy! (Oh yeah, Monday or Tuesday was picture day at the High School . . .Mary's LAST picture day as she's a Junior. She's killin' me!)

Meanwhile, my friend, Susan, and her husband have been through a MAJOR crisis over the last several MONTHS. He's not well because he's experienced a series of strokes and they live out in the back country far from any kind of help (medical or otherwise). . . it's sobering and humbling to think about what she's been through. My other friend has family issues involving her son and I am so grateful we don't have to deal with that . . . God knows I'm not equipped. I feel helpless in the face of these situations and that sort of spills over into my own issues.

So today I'm reminding myself to be grateful. To remember when I feel disgruntled that I could be living out of a paper bag filled with stuff someone I don't know donated to the Red Cross. To remember when my kids complain about something they feel is unfair that the only way THEY will learn gratitude is from me -- am I showing it?

Life's not so bad and God is good, so I'm gonna be okay.

A long day

We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones. -- Francois de La Rochefoucauld

So. . . it's been a really long day. I really hate my "new office" which is really just the vestibule to the storage closet and everyone just walks in without knocking or asking. I hate rudeness. A lot.

Why are people rude? Haven't they ever heard of the Golden Rule? Don't kids learn it anymore? Never mind kids. . . do adult people who make a lot of money just figure that other people should have to put up with their rudeness? That's just ridiculous.

So, my "fault" is that I"m not very patient. With anyone. Problem is I tend to take it out on the ones I love most. Namely my darling husband and children. Bless 'em. I can hardly haul off on anyone at work because they're so stinkin rude . . . I need my job too badly. So my family gets the brunt. I'm working on it. God help me.

My kids

Well. . . I learned tonight that I have been remiss. I have failed to mention my wonderful, darling offspring in any of my posts -- at least to any substantial extent. This has caused my eldest child no end of heartbreak and so I write to right the wrong. (hee hee)

Mary will be 16 in December -- I know, I don't look old enough to have a 16 year old. It's a gift.

And speaking of gifts. . . Mary wants to teach kids with "special skills." She was a counselor at a camp in Indiana this past summer and found her "call." (Yeah, that's kinda what got me thinkin' about what mine might be . . .)

That I could have been as focused at such an early age.

She and her sister, Sara (who will be 13 in January), both started Kindergarten at 4. We had them at a childcare in town that also had a certified Kindergarten. After they completed the pre-school program, we thought they might be bored if they did it again, so we moved them into the Kindergarten program. We went to church with the Principal of the local elementary school and, after we told him the Kindergarten was, indeed, certified by the state, he said we could start the girls early into first grade. So, Mary is 15 and a bit and a Junior in high school. At this rate, she won't be able to legally drink at any college parties. Oh darn. NOT!

Here's Sara by the pool on Labor Day weekend with my cousin's daughter. We dreamed about our kids playing together when we were kids . . . now it's coming true! Sara is sweetness personified. Unless you make her mad. . . then watch out! She's brilliant -- as are all my children, of course -- and she plays the cello and, along with her sister, sings like an angel. She's in 8th grade.

The middle school in our district teaches foreign languages. Mary took French (she's actually taking French 4 this year) and Sara is taking German.

Sara has known since she was 3 that she wanted to be a "mommy doctor." I taught her to say "obstetrician" back then and she's never looked back. If we could just convince her to work on her grades. . .

Noah will be 9 in November. He's in 3rd grade and he loves to play soccer. We'll probably send him to soccer camp this summer. He wants to play drums. Since we've experienced membership in chorus and orchestra, I figure band is the next logical step! Not sure what his "call" is yet -- right now he's just "mommy's little man."

Last, but certainly not least, my handsome, handy, lovable, recently-bearded man. . .

"If it's not one thing, it's another" or "Lemonade . . . that cool refreshing drink"

I am paraphrasing two of my favorite comics in today's heading: Gilda Radner doing Rosanne Rosannadanna and Eddie Murphy's Elvis.

Classic SNL alums both. Gilda used to sit in those silly glasses and describe either some gruesome event in the life of some distant relation or some minor frustration that had caused her apoplexy and then, "as her grandpa, Dan Rosannadanna used to say," she'd end with "if it's not one thing, it's another. .. " Don't get me started about how there are no "best of" videos of the wonderful WOMEN of SNL. . .

And what can I say about Eddie Murphy? He said Elvis could sing anything and get women. . .hence, "Lemonade, that cool refreshing drink."

Anywho, our washer is broken. We replaced the dryer last December -- after Tim made a gallant effort to keep it alive by using his handyman's Bible (not sure what the actual name is but that's what we call it). I know he had a terrible, sinking feeling of failure when the old one finally died after nearly 20 years. Well, the washer is trying to give up the ghost. The hot water is not working. We are not quitters, though, so Tim is buying a part today (after taking the thing apart over the weekend and cleaning it down to the last nut and bolt) that we hope will do the trick. If it doesn't, we start buying detergent that washes everything in cold water. . .

We're too busy trying to get our car situation in order.

We have an invisible lemon tree somewhere in our yard but, thanks to my darling, capable husband, we keep making lemonade -- good thing we like to drink it!

[Addendum: 7:23 p.m. -- HE FIXED IT!! Gotta love that man!]

Change

I am moving to another office today. I think that's the most accurate way to put it in one sentence. The Powers That Be have decided to do some remodeling and, for reasons known only to themselves, have decided that the sales staff needs to be at this end of the building. Although the encoding equipment HAS to stay in the room next to where I am currently sitting. Why they didn't just put the sales staff at the other end of the building, I don't know. However, the bright side is that this is supposed to be my office in the Grand Plan. So, hopefully, I'm here to stay.

We have a new guy -- marketing guy -- and his name is Don. Early riser this guy. I'm here at 7:30 a.m. every day to earn my flex day and he gets here BEFORE ME.

So, I'm trying to get a bit of clean up done and start getting ready to vacate and I find these little horns -- bicycle horns -- that the sales guys (when there was more than one) used to indicate they'd made a sale. (John, our one sales guy, still does.) I took them to Don and explained what they were for and we started talking about change . . . and then I opened my e-mail.

One of the regular offerings I receive is from Beliefnet and it's called "From the Masters." Sometimes it's just quotes (OH BOY) from brilliant minds but other times it's inspirational writings. . . today was a "quote day."

"Of the events of life we may have some control, but over the law of its progress none."
-- John W. Draper

"Everything changes, nothing remains without change."
-- Buddha

"When you're finished changing, you're finished."
-- Benjamin Franklin

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

Then there were these gems:

Every day I live I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the selfish prudence that will risk nothing and which, shirking pain, misses happiness as well. No one ever yet was the poorer in the long run for having once in a lifetime "let out all the length of all the reins." Mary Cholmondeley (1859-1925), Writer

To be truly cultivated is to think reasonably, to live grandly, to love greatly, to shun pettiness, to condemn prejudice and cruelty. In short, to be cultivated is to be alive in the very largest sense. Dorothy J. Farnan (1919-2003), Educator and writer

Some day, I hope to be quoted . . .

Witty repartee and some other thoughts

I'm not sure I spelled that heading correctly. . .

First, I need to say that I put an addendum on my post about my visit to Washington, D.C. -- please go back and read it. It's a cool prayer.

Anyway, I got a couple of great quotes in my e-mail this morning and wanted to share them:

I believe that people would be alive today if there were a death penalty.
-- Nancy Reagan

Washington is a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.
-- John F. Kennedy

Think about it . . .

You gotta love JFK. Too bad the brains in that family died with Bobby.

Something I haven't mentioned about myself is that I'm an enigma wrapped in a dichotomy tied with a very pretty purple, silk ribbon.

I'm blonde and, I think my husband would agree, reasonably attractive. However, I'm also intelligent. Some would think that a dichotomy. I find it the case more often than not. Blondes have a bad rap.

I'm a "thinking Christian" -- I don't follow whatever the church tells me to believe and do. I read the Bible and follow what I understad JESUS wants me to believe and do. Or at least I try to.

Anywho, I have become a very involved member of a parachurch group called the Walk to Emmaus over the last, oh, 8 years. I went on my "pilgrim" (or original) Walk when I was pregnant with my son, Noah. It opened my eyes to what my relationship with Jesus, and the world, could be. I'm still not there but I keep "walking" in the hope that I'll get a bit closer. I am on the Board of Directors for the Lexington Emmaus Community and am on the team for the upcoming Men's Walk -- Tim is the Lay Director. Our daughter, Mary, is also on the team. She went on a retreat called Chrysalis last February after living in an "Emmaus House" for 7 years. We're immersed in it. I wonder sometimes if it's Jesus we follow or Emmaus. I pray it is the former.

Catch Up

Okay, remember how, a few posts ago, I mentioned we were going to buy my Aunt and Uncle's car? Well, we got it! We've actually had it a couple weeks. The material on the ceiling is falling down, it only has a radio (stone age!), the air compressor for the a/c needs to be replaced (not gonna do it) and the paint on the hood looks like birds have been pecking at it. But it runs on very little gas (I filled the tank for the first time since we brought it home from OHIO yesterday!), it's a FIVE SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION (fun!) and it's a sporty little red thing. It's so much fun to drive. The most immediate problem was that it smelled like smoke. Both my Aunt and my Uncle smoke and she drove it. LOVE THEM -- hate their smoking. Anywho, a friend here at work, Zak Pence, had recommended that I buy some spray from a pet store for eliminating pet urine odor . . . ewwwwww! He told me it would smell like a vet's office but then I could spray something else and it would be okay.

Well, I went to Petsmart (is that Pet Smart or Pets Mart??) yesterday and got some spray that said it had an apple fragrance. It's GREAT! It's called Simple Solution Home (brand) Stain and Odor Remover(product) Juicy Apple (fragrance). I highly recommend it. However, I may need to purchase another bottle... wonder how many packs a day she smoked...

Finally a Grown Up

Well, it's only taken 40 years but I'm finally a grown up!

I had to go to Washington, D.C. last week on "business." What I actually did was eat Salmon for 2 lunches and a dinner (all in a row), meet Naomi Judd (!!) and talk to people (read "schmooze"). The part where I became a grown up is that I've been married my entire adult life so I RARELY travel alone. I went to NYC in January of 2004 but stayed with my Uncle Ardon (the consummate New Yorker) so I had help. I went to Florida in March of this year but stayed with my mom and dad . . . you get it. In D.C. it was just me. I navigated my way from the airport to the hotel (the easy way, in a cab) and back (via the Metro -- kinda scary for a small town girl). I managed to get myself to the Holocaust Museum, which wasn't even built the last time I was there. That place blew me away. I was a History major in college so there were things I already knew. I read The Diary of Anne Frank, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom and Night by Elie Weisel (highly recommend all). But there are things there that make it all REAL. A picture of Ike at one of the camps and a quote by him:

"The things I saw beggar description.... The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were... overpowering....I made the visit deliberately in order to be in a position to give firsthand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to 'propaganda.'" General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in a letter to Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, April 15, 1945

And, he was right -- what I saw "beggar(ed)" description. How could human beings do the things the Nazis did? How could DOCTORS do those things? And record it all on film of varying types!

I was especially touched by the case that displayed the so-called "euthenasia" of handicapped people (mentally and physically). Barbaric.

But the most convicting to me in some ways was the photo of the woman on the park bench. Obviously Jewish, for who would sit on a bench marked "Jews Only" if she were not? Her face was covered with her beret. The card that described the photo said something to the effect that the Nazis based their treatment of the Jews -- at least as far as "separate but (not necessarily) equal" -- on the US's treatment of our Black citizens at the time. Ouch. . .

Well, after navigating our Nation's Capital -- I felt rather proud of myself.

Besides meeting Naomi, I got to hear Jim Wallis speak (http://www.sojo.net/), met Rabbi Elliott Kleinman and, as I say, got my protein.

Rabbi Kleinman was awesome! Very intelligent and very funny. We chatted for a long time about the Hebrew language and how moving it is, even to (and perhaps especially to) those of us who cannot speak it. He told me about some research that had been done that showed that a majority of Jewish people do not speak or read Hebrew BUT they prefer to have it read in their services! Think about it -- it's a holy language like none other. Hearing it is like hearing music. I'll never forget attending a Bar Mitzvah (the Friday evening service only) several years ago. The boy in question is the son of the attorney I was working with at the time and I took my eldest daughter, Mary, with me. There were published versions of the Torah available at each seat and, as the Psalms were spoken in Hebrew, we could follow along in English. It was magical and moved me in a way I've seldom experienced. I felt sort of the same way about The Passion of the Christ. There's just a wonderful connection there -- ancient language, roots of our faith, etc. Very cool.

I've started Disciple Bible Study at church on Sunday evenings. The class is a diverse group as far as male/female and educational/spiritual backgrounds. Still, there are no African-Americans (although I have noticed an upswing in attendance from that sector on Sunday morning) and no Hispanics. It's not necessarily a representative sampling of our city's populace.

Just some "grown up" thoughts on Monday. . .

[Addendum: I had almost forgotten the wonderful closing prayer given at our luncheon on Tuesday, September 13 by Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC's general minister and president:

O God, sometimes words and images tell us truths we don’t want to know, so we spike them, spin them, censor them. Sometimes words and images expose us, so we stay on message, stay on point to keep others, keep ourselves from knowing too much. But sometimes truth cannot be controlled. The powerful hide behind tinted glass from a mother’s haunting questions, and we see the bitter fruit of our deceptions. The desperate cries of the vulnerable poor - few affluent among them - rise from the deluge toward the camera flying overhead, and suddenly we know the real meaning of “left behind.” “What is truth?” Pilate’s cynicism is repeated again and again by those who have little interest in truth. So make us bold to speak, to write, to print, to photograph. And make us persistent in our work to allow all to see the sin and the grace, the horror and the hope, the despair and the dignity of our lives, and thus to see what You see when You gaze upon all that You have made. Amen.]

Long Weekend and other stuff

Well, we spent the weekend in Tennessee. My cousin, Dawn, lives there and she and her husband have 4 kids to our 3. It's a huge party! In most senses of the word. . .

They put in a pool (inground, 28x48) this summer and this was our first chance to get down there. We usually go for the July 4th weekend. Anyway, it was great and we all came back in varying shades of pink!

Weekends like this one make me SO grateful for Dawn. She's as close as I have to a sister and I wouldn't trade her for an ACTUAL sister! We are very close and she's basically my best girlfriend. We used to talk when we were kids about how cool it would be when we were grown ups and our kids played together . . . I guess that's NOW!

We are hoping to spend a week next summer . . .

Quotes

I collect quotes. I receive an e-mail every day that has quotations in it from people (famous, infamous and "fringe") and I move them to another folder and save them "just in case I need them."

I never have.

But it's fun to think I have this endless well of wit and wisdom at my command.

For instance, this one was in the e-mail this morning:

What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists?
In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
-- Woody Allen

I love that! And I don't really like Woody Allen.

I also like:

Punctuality is the virtue of the bored.
-- Evelyn Waugh, Diaries of Evelyn Waugh (1976)

Who is Evelyn Waugh??

Google says. . . She wrote Brideshead Revisited!! Wow, you learn something new every day!

Anyway, I guess I've decided that this could be a place where I sprinkle a quotation or two. So be expecting it -- I wouldn't want anyone to wet himself (or herself) from shock.

Also, I'm currently in the process of writing a Harry Potter Fanfiction for a contest that www.veritaserum.com is holding. They rock and are one of my favorite HP sites. After I post it there, I'll probably post it here too.

I don't work tomorrow (I work a "flex" schedule) and it's Labor Day weekend, so have a great one and see you next week!

The Princess