Sunday? I think...

I've lost track of time. I have one more day off, then back at it. Nice week in all. Thanksgiving at my dad's. (We took food up to his place) Decorated a little tree for him and my step mom.

Actually got nearly half way through a book! The Visitation by Frank Peretti. I'm laboring through it a bit. He usually has way too many characters, it's a bit long...and I have a hard time keeping up if I'm not reading every day. But, getting halfway through a novel is, well, novel for me.

I enjoy the FB experience, it's still just a little...either too much or too little. Kind of cyber voyeurism. It's an amazing little invention. Sometimes I think about shutting it down, kind of like what we all go through with blogging. We do that when we feel a little too vulnerable, the too "glass-housey" feeling.

I seem to be spending a lot of time alone lately, which seems to suit me. I have 2 new doggies to spend time with. They are very sweet, and I'll be adding pictures soon. We went out to look at the Husky Shepherd mix (like we were just gonna 'look') and ended up taking her and a chocolate lab puppy (8 months now). They said he was a mix. I just don't see it. He is so much like a chocolate male Gracie, it's unreal. He even responds to commands that I inadvertedly say that only she knew. He's tall and slim and sweet. I didn't want a Husky, a German Shepherd, a male, nor a lab. I got 'em all. The Husky was a bit of a challenge--she thought she was the Alpha dog....we set that straight....but she is turning into such a sweet girl. Walking was the problem, but that's better. Anyway, they are good company, and very loving.

Do you ever just need to be by yourself? I guess Jesus needed that, why wouldn't we? I've been spending the time thinking about being well. Getting massages that are breaking up some connective tissue issues; reading; walking. Time of reflection?

My neighbor and I had a run in again. I saw him in my yard and driveway blowing his tree's fallen leaves back over to his yard. I had a cup of coffee in my hand and felt the HS leading me to talk to him. I went over to him (he was back in his yard) and said hi. I smiled and told him not to bother with the leaves...they weren't bothering us...it's fall, after all, and it is a beautiful tree. He stared at me and said, "Why are you all up in my business? Why are you here?"

So much for following that HS lead..... :-/

I hope you have an awesome week! I'm going to visit your blogs, now!

Rambling yet again....

**Those of you that know me from this blog know that I frequently suffer from "metaphor-itis." I tend to see something else in everything around me. Trees with stark branches are us: either dead and barren, or dead and barren with the hope of new birth, or reaching up with arms of praise. My kitty got stuck in my closet last night. She should know from experience that if she sneaks in there, she might get the door shut on her, leaving her there til I go in again. Still, she keeps going in and getting trapped. What are we repeating over and over again that isn't good for us; we know the consequences, and still we persist in doing so?

**My blogbuddy Joe is blogging again! 'Bout time. He did the book exercise that Milly, Matt, and I did....and his book was the Art of War--a book that many teen boys will actually read. But I got something spiritual from the sentences that he happened upon. There's God in everything! Check out some of Joe's other posts. He has a lot to say. He is an open-minded, kind and generous fellow with the kind of caring for ALL people that we should adopt.

**I'm still cleaning out. It feels great! I need to get done by Sunday, crash, and get ready to sub again. I'm torn between going to get certified to teach full-time and get that ever needed steady pay check; or continue with my art business. It's going full-tilt right now, and leaning heavily on the interior design aspect--something that I never thought would happen. I guess I just need to pray about this. Duh, huh? I mean KEEP praying about it.

**I redid my Real Age Health thing! Since exercising and making some simple changes, I dropped 5 years below my chronological age! Bad news...I got a new scale...I weigh 10 pounds more than I thought. OUCH!!! Tubby time! :-) Oh, well. We are more than our poundage, right?

Off to clean some more!!
Did I tell you that you guys rock?

Shepherds...

kansas bob has lots of interesting posts at his new site. I can't keep up! One interesting thread is about the description of a pastor.
What do you think a pastor is?

Ho, ho, hack...

Bruce echoes some of my feelings about Christmas music and such in his latest posting. Yeah, I tagged ya, Bruce, so you'd post something. Bruce always has good stuff to share.

I also tagged folks in the hopes of getting some kind of Christmas spirit for myself. I just don't have it, and rarely do. It's particularly hard these last couple of years with our men and women overseas. We're running around hoping to get that piece of jewelry. They just wanna come home alive.

Christmas is a pagan holiday. It just is. It has very little to do with Jesus, and as far as pagan holidays go, I prefer Halloween. Legalists out there will recoil in horror at that, I'm sure. I think Halloween is funny. It's a laugh in the face of evil, and it's creative. It is what it is, and, ironically, doesn't masquerade as something else. Plus, there's the instant sugar rush.

How many moms out there have had to make pterodactyl costumes? It ain't easy, let me tell you. That beak is a patience-killer. One of my guys went as an IRS man one year. He'd have had all doors shut in his face if he hadn't had the younger one in tow.

We try and will continue to try to maintain a spirit of the holidays that are about Jesus. It's hard in a world where the most important thing is getting that Lexus in your driveway with the red bow on top. Now, that just SCREAMS the birth of the King, doesn't it?

I'll try to refrain from any further cranky posts!

I'm not trying to steal your Christmas, but I guess I am the Grinch.