Geesh! It's been forever since I posted anything here.
Since last I wrote, I sold my house (finally!) and moved in with my mom in Houston. Most of my life is now in storage. *chuckle* Still seeking that new church God has called me to. Fought my old cranky laptop to a well-earned rest and now have a new computer that I've been busy figuring out. Change! Love it. Hate it. But it's a constant, so I'm doing my best to learn to live with it.
Last year about this time, I commented that I'd noticed that I wasn't quite as hypersensitive to the potential threat of hurricanes as I had been in the previous years. Instead of constantly being sure I was near a tv for The Weather Channel's Tropical Update and wandering through the National Hurricane Center's website multiple times a day, I had found that I could even skip an entire day without feeling edgy.
This year, I've found myself at least roaming the National Hurricane Center's site 2-3 times a day, but for an entirely different reason.
It's DRY!
Much of Texas is under severe drought conditions, and the weather prognosticators in the area keep saying things like "When it gets like this, about the only thing which will break the drought is something tropical." I silently add "depression, just a nice, gentle depression, would be just fine". But I've found that their comments have once again put me a bit on edge and I'm straying back toward a mild obsession of keeping up with the tropics, wanting something to come, but being really picky about what that something is.
"Rain, rain" that some other day has arrived. It's okay if you want to come and visit for just a little bit and give this parched earth some much needed moisture.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Happy Dancing!
Just got some wonderful news!
My friend and his wife from the previous post are well and together and busy helping their community by providing pizza and coffee for adults, popcorn and sweet tea for kids from their coffee shop.
Would that all of our prayers were answered in a similar manner. One of those questions for face-to-face with God, though.
In the meantime ...
Happy Dancing!
My friend and his wife from the previous post are well and together and busy helping their community by providing pizza and coffee for adults, popcorn and sweet tea for kids from their coffee shop.
Would that all of our prayers were answered in a similar manner. One of those questions for face-to-face with God, though.
In the meantime ...
Happy Dancing!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Devastation
It's hard to imagine the effects of earthquake and tsunami on Japan, just as it is hard to imagine the effects of any natural disaster on a community. The pictures are mind-boggling and the continuing reports each strike a blow to the caring heart.
I have a friend who moved to Japan and got married last year. Initial (second-hand) reports were that he was (1) in a safe building on the 3rd floor before the tsunami hit, but was cold, hungry, and thirsty; and (2) he had made it to the coffee shop that he and his wife had opened at the end of last year. Unfortunately, his wife wasn't there and reports were that she was out driving in the flood waters looking for him.
That's the last we've heard from any of them.
Of course, they could be completely safe and back together, but unable to make contact with the "outside" world. That's not where the mind immediately jumps. It's frightening to be watching and waiting from the outside with no specific news to inform one's fears. I'm sure that my friends are just as frantic about getting news to family and friends as we are to hear it.
When I think back to Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike, major disasters of my own personal experience, my head says that it may take more than a week before contact is restored at an individual level for everyone. The question becomes one of finding ways to cope emotionally during that time of limbo.
Limbo in the midst of devastation.
Isn't that what the followers of Christ experienced after his crucifixion? Shock. Fear. Cowering in the upper room. Stunned. At sea. I hate being there in that emotional uncertainty.
Yet there was Good News! for those disciples, and for us. While I appreciate and rely on the certainty of God's grace for life after life, I also selfishly want to experience the good news of life in this life for my friends, and for all of those whose lives have been devastated, even if I don't know any of them.
And in the meantime, prayers arising! for the survivors and victims' families, for rescue workers, for those trying to restore order in the midst of chaos, for those awaiting news, for those who need hope, for those who are hungry, cold, thirsty, at risk, for all of these and more ...
I have a friend who moved to Japan and got married last year. Initial (second-hand) reports were that he was (1) in a safe building on the 3rd floor before the tsunami hit, but was cold, hungry, and thirsty; and (2) he had made it to the coffee shop that he and his wife had opened at the end of last year. Unfortunately, his wife wasn't there and reports were that she was out driving in the flood waters looking for him.
That's the last we've heard from any of them.
Of course, they could be completely safe and back together, but unable to make contact with the "outside" world. That's not where the mind immediately jumps. It's frightening to be watching and waiting from the outside with no specific news to inform one's fears. I'm sure that my friends are just as frantic about getting news to family and friends as we are to hear it.
When I think back to Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Ike, major disasters of my own personal experience, my head says that it may take more than a week before contact is restored at an individual level for everyone. The question becomes one of finding ways to cope emotionally during that time of limbo.
Limbo in the midst of devastation.
Isn't that what the followers of Christ experienced after his crucifixion? Shock. Fear. Cowering in the upper room. Stunned. At sea. I hate being there in that emotional uncertainty.
Yet there was Good News! for those disciples, and for us. While I appreciate and rely on the certainty of God's grace for life after life, I also selfishly want to experience the good news of life in this life for my friends, and for all of those whose lives have been devastated, even if I don't know any of them.
And in the meantime, prayers arising! for the survivors and victims' families, for rescue workers, for those trying to restore order in the midst of chaos, for those awaiting news, for those who need hope, for those who are hungry, cold, thirsty, at risk, for all of these and more ...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Alarm Clock
I have a very strange alarm clock.
When I'm snoozin' and cruisin' and don't necessarily need to get up at a certain time, the thing religiously chirps, just once, at 8:28am. It doesn't buzz or make its usual alarm sound. Just a quick chirp. Just enough to break through my slumbers and startle me into awareness.
Now, if I happen to come to awareness at 8:26am and pretend to sleep until 8:28, it doesn't make a sound. I've tested this over a several day period and awareness = no chirp, slumber = chirp.
I haven't the foggiest idea of why it does this. Like most electronics, I understand them just enough to be dangerous and not enough to make any sense of them whatsoever.
It would even make a bit of sense if the clock was actually set to go off at 8:28am and it made the noise whether it was actually set to "alarm" or not.
But no.
The darned thing's set for 8:45am! (Don't remember why I set it for that time, but that's what it says.)
Any suggestions? I'm totally perplexed by this phenomenon!
When I'm snoozin' and cruisin' and don't necessarily need to get up at a certain time, the thing religiously chirps, just once, at 8:28am. It doesn't buzz or make its usual alarm sound. Just a quick chirp. Just enough to break through my slumbers and startle me into awareness.
Now, if I happen to come to awareness at 8:26am and pretend to sleep until 8:28, it doesn't make a sound. I've tested this over a several day period and awareness = no chirp, slumber = chirp.
I haven't the foggiest idea of why it does this. Like most electronics, I understand them just enough to be dangerous and not enough to make any sense of them whatsoever.
It would even make a bit of sense if the clock was actually set to go off at 8:28am and it made the noise whether it was actually set to "alarm" or not.
But no.
The darned thing's set for 8:45am! (Don't remember why I set it for that time, but that's what it says.)
Any suggestions? I'm totally perplexed by this phenomenon!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Skating
For many years, I skated and taught artistic roller skating. You know, like the Olympic ice skating. I did the compulsory figures and, whenever I had a partner, dance. Never did better than regional championships, but I enjoyed it.
So, of course, over the years I watched ice skating regularly, attending all the local ice shows and goading the stars into doing their more difficult jumps, judging competitions from the comfort of my couch, and so on.
Then everywhere you turned, there was some kind of ice skating competition on tv. Fakey professional competitions. Nationals. Worlds. More fakey pro/am competitions. Overkill!
At that point, I quit watching anything more than an occasional glimpse of a competition here and there. Over the years what I saw was mostly average with little spark or excitement.
I did notice a couple of things. Ice dancing was rapidly becoming pairs skating with slightly lower lifts and men's singles had become a race to see who could do the most sloppy quads. Nope! Not for me!
This weekend the boredom factor around here was so high that I paused for longer than a few seconds on the televised National Ice Skating competition. And I was just in time for the inane spotlight pieces where each competitor rambles on in front of a camera for 2-3 minutes. YUCK!
Then the routines began. Ladies short program. Not bad, at least not the competitors I saw.
Next there was a special piece on the people who stand behind the JUDGES and tell them what each of the program elements are and whether they were completed correctly.
HUH?!?!?!
There's this part of me that understands the desire for a bit of objectivity in a sport that is largely subjective. But really? Shouldn't the judges KNOW what the competitors are doing and whether they've done it well or not?
I almost fled the scene in horror.
Remember me commenting on the boredom factor at my house yesterday afternoon?
Yep. Stayed around a bit longer. Just in time to see what they've done to ice dancing. Adding freestyle to the compulsory dances? Twizzles? SPINS??? GAH!!!
I think I'm declaring a permanent moratorium on watching ice skating.
(Probably not. I suspect there'll come a day when the boredom factor around here hits double digits again and I'll get suckered once again.)
But I sure do miss the good old days of ice skating!
You know, I'm really not completely averse to change and progress. But this doesn't feel like progress at all. *sigh*
(And, yes, I'm allowed to be contrary. Lifts on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance are just fine. Just leave the pairs skating out of ice dance, thank you very much!)
So, of course, over the years I watched ice skating regularly, attending all the local ice shows and goading the stars into doing their more difficult jumps, judging competitions from the comfort of my couch, and so on.
Then everywhere you turned, there was some kind of ice skating competition on tv. Fakey professional competitions. Nationals. Worlds. More fakey pro/am competitions. Overkill!
At that point, I quit watching anything more than an occasional glimpse of a competition here and there. Over the years what I saw was mostly average with little spark or excitement.
I did notice a couple of things. Ice dancing was rapidly becoming pairs skating with slightly lower lifts and men's singles had become a race to see who could do the most sloppy quads. Nope! Not for me!
This weekend the boredom factor around here was so high that I paused for longer than a few seconds on the televised National Ice Skating competition. And I was just in time for the inane spotlight pieces where each competitor rambles on in front of a camera for 2-3 minutes. YUCK!
Then the routines began. Ladies short program. Not bad, at least not the competitors I saw.
Next there was a special piece on the people who stand behind the JUDGES and tell them what each of the program elements are and whether they were completed correctly.
HUH?!?!?!
There's this part of me that understands the desire for a bit of objectivity in a sport that is largely subjective. But really? Shouldn't the judges KNOW what the competitors are doing and whether they've done it well or not?
I almost fled the scene in horror.
Remember me commenting on the boredom factor at my house yesterday afternoon?
Yep. Stayed around a bit longer. Just in time to see what they've done to ice dancing. Adding freestyle to the compulsory dances? Twizzles? SPINS??? GAH!!!
I think I'm declaring a permanent moratorium on watching ice skating.
(Probably not. I suspect there'll come a day when the boredom factor around here hits double digits again and I'll get suckered once again.)
But I sure do miss the good old days of ice skating!
You know, I'm really not completely averse to change and progress. But this doesn't feel like progress at all. *sigh*
(And, yes, I'm allowed to be contrary. Lifts on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance are just fine. Just leave the pairs skating out of ice dance, thank you very much!)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Weirdness
Well, at least a little bit of weirdness.
The past three Fridays I've gone out to the mailbox at the usual time, lifted the lid, swished my hand around inside (it's too high for me to just look), and come out with ... nothing! Just to be sure, I've gone back and checked later, closer to sunset and ... nothing! (Well, not today on the sunset thing. It's still lunchtime.)
Has someone declared a Friday mail moratorium? I'd think that'd be a dumb day for a moratorium. Saturday makes more sense than Friday. At least, then, there'd be a whole lot of businesses closed and not awaiting mail.
Maybe someone's just trying to drive ME crazy by not delivering mail on Friday. I know I haven't dropped completely off the map, because I've continued to get mail on other days, usually.
Weirdness.
Now yesterday's mail came with some treasure. In God's unending comedy, I won a "date night". Yes, happily single, solo me won a date night. Pretty nice shekels for it too. So, I'm planning to take me and myself for a spa day/overnight somewhere. Not sure where yet, but I've some research to do.
Weirdness.
It's also shorts weather today. All right! I'll admit that far Southeast Texas doesn't tend to get particularly cold during the winter months. But shorts?! I'd turn on the a/c, but I'm not especially uncomfortable and don't want to waste the energy.
Weirdness.
All in all, I'm feeling just a bit off-kilter. Nothing radical. Just not quite normal, if that makes any sense at all. I'm ready to move, take on new tasks, meet new people, get things going again. And, yet, I feel "flat", not three-dimensional in an emotional sense. I'm looking forward to the day when I figure out where God's calling me to be and start the new work ahead of me.
Then, maybe in the midst of the weirdness to come, I won't feel so weird!
The past three Fridays I've gone out to the mailbox at the usual time, lifted the lid, swished my hand around inside (it's too high for me to just look), and come out with ... nothing! Just to be sure, I've gone back and checked later, closer to sunset and ... nothing! (Well, not today on the sunset thing. It's still lunchtime.)
Has someone declared a Friday mail moratorium? I'd think that'd be a dumb day for a moratorium. Saturday makes more sense than Friday. At least, then, there'd be a whole lot of businesses closed and not awaiting mail.
Maybe someone's just trying to drive ME crazy by not delivering mail on Friday. I know I haven't dropped completely off the map, because I've continued to get mail on other days, usually.
Weirdness.
Now yesterday's mail came with some treasure. In God's unending comedy, I won a "date night". Yes, happily single, solo me won a date night. Pretty nice shekels for it too. So, I'm planning to take me and myself for a spa day/overnight somewhere. Not sure where yet, but I've some research to do.
Weirdness.
It's also shorts weather today. All right! I'll admit that far Southeast Texas doesn't tend to get particularly cold during the winter months. But shorts?! I'd turn on the a/c, but I'm not especially uncomfortable and don't want to waste the energy.
Weirdness.
All in all, I'm feeling just a bit off-kilter. Nothing radical. Just not quite normal, if that makes any sense at all. I'm ready to move, take on new tasks, meet new people, get things going again. And, yet, I feel "flat", not three-dimensional in an emotional sense. I'm looking forward to the day when I figure out where God's calling me to be and start the new work ahead of me.
Then, maybe in the midst of the weirdness to come, I won't feel so weird!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Hate When That Happens
This morning, as I was slowly returning to consciousness, I had a really nice little blog post plotted in my brain. Then the brain got distracted by other thoughts. Now I can't for the life of me remember what I was going to post.
Hate when that happens!
Wonder if going back to bed would help any.
Nah! Probably not, but it's worth a try. See ya later!
Hate when that happens!
Wonder if going back to bed would help any.
Nah! Probably not, but it's worth a try. See ya later!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
