Marriage Advice

Yesterday I was listening to Dave Ramsey, and while this doesn’t affect me I thought it was interesting. He was speaking to Joe Beam, a marriage counselor, who said that wives start more arguments but husbands will determine their length primarily by how he treats his wife when they aren’t arguing.

To my OCD Friend(s):

At some time in the future, whenever the spirit suddenly moves, I will be changing the layout of the blog.

Consider yourself warned.

Renae and the MBA

For various reasons I’ve been pretty disconnected from the internet for three days. This post was meant to be posted on Saturday, but I didn’t have internet access to do so.

This morning was long anticipated. Before I even moved to Michigan Renae spent a great deal of time preparing for the GMAT. In the fall of 2004 she began the journey to her MBA—one class at a time.

To be honest, I was a bit surprised at what a really good student she is. She would get the syllabus ahead of time and be reading ahead in the textbook. She began papers right away, and she was the one prodding along delinquent group project members. Often she would be frustrated because she would have completed an assignment on the syllabus only for other students to complain near the end of the semester and the prof would cut out the assignment.

She took a year off for her three foot surgeries and then picked up her studies again. When she considered not finishing the program, her younger son said that she had to finish what she started and encouraged to go on. She’s been a great visual to her sons about working hard for good grades. (Maybe they aren’t visual learners???)

Last May she decided to do both sessions of summer school and take two classes in the fall to knock out the degree faster and to have only one class left this spring. Little did she know that she would be let go in December and have to pay for that last class personally; otherwise the company paid for her MBA.

I told her she could take the summer off and then we could start Ph.Ds in the fall together. That was almost the end of our friendship.

Renae, I’m really proud of you! You’re a great student. So while today marks the end of your classroom learning, it’s the first day of the rest of your life of learning.

Attention, Attention, take cover, take cover

This morning at work we had a take cover (tornado) drill. The shelter areas are the men's and ladies' restrooms. There are many more men on this end of the building than women so when the men's room fills up they must start filling in the space in the women's room.

The ladies' restroom was filling up and then the first men came. Everyone laughed and the men came in shaking their heads, hands up as if in defeat, and with red faces.

It was funny how everyone seemed to revert to elementary school giggles over the situation. Ooooh--Johnny's in the girls' bathroom!!!

Earth Day

Funniest line from another blog today: I’ll celebrate Earth Day when they give back Pluto its deserved planet status.

I did my part to save a tree today. An electronic invoice that one of our dealers received today would be 46 pages if printed. She paid from the electronic invoice, attached it in an e-mail to me, and I uploaded it to our on-line document storage with no paper printed.

Product Recommendation

Today or tomorrow is sump pump day so last night I moved things out of my furnace room. I also needed to move my foosball table back to make it easier for the workers to move through the room with their equipment. I literally couldn't budge it, and pushing it only made the legs start to bend. During the night I had a revelation--I have Moving Men!!!

This morning I used them and slid the foosball table over several feet. They worked wonders!!! I'm glad Renae encouraged me to buy these at Shipshewana last year, and I'm sure I paid a lot less than $14.95 or $9.95.

Today my friend Renae called me at work. I saw her number show up on my screen and as I pressed the button for that line the call dropped. She called back right away so I asked her what had happened. She said it was weird, but that the phone rang and then she got a recorded message, “This line is no longer in service.”

She about freaked out and thought, “Somebody got rid of Rhoda too at HMI!”

We laughed about it as did the specialists and only analyst here today, but reality is that isn’t funny and is a real possibility these days.

God's Art

A missionary who is training teacher's in Christian education in Togo, West Africa included this in her weekly e-mail I receive:

She's been teaching them elements of art: line, color, texture, value, shape, and space. These are basic things that we all grow up knowing because of art in school and other influences. But imagine these teachers for the first time seeing how God uses texture in the nature all around them. The teachers did rubbings on things just in the classroom and around my yard. Imagine looking for the first time at all the variety of colors and shapes God used. One of the reasons for Christian education is to know God better. And this week we certainly have been able to see God better in the variety of nature all around us. I hope you'll take some time to see God the Artist this week and appreciate him better.

It reminded me of a line in a movie from the Janette Oke series (yes, I watch Hallmark Movie Channel) that says something like this, "Riding through the prairie makes me feel as if I'm in the middle of God's painting."

Because I usually live in flatter areas, I am struck with awe at the beauty of mountains. I loved to drive just north of Knoxville on I-75 through the mountains.

So where do you feel in the middle of God's painting?

Suffering for Jesus on the Organ

This morning was my first time to play the organ for church. Those who play the piano have been asked to at least play a melody line to add a fullness to the music with a string sound. I was able to do a bit more than that and even played the pedals on The Old Rugged Cross. Overall, it went pretty well.

Near the end of the service the minister sat down on the front row close by me. I leaned over to him and said, "Is there a reason it was necessary to preach a sermon on the Purpose of Suffering to the congregation on my first Sunday playing the organ?" He laughed as did the others I told that to.

Thankful Thursday

Writing this today makes me remember that I missed this last week.

1. I'm really thankful for my work team leader. She knows she isn't perfect and she will admit to her mistakes and faults. She is helpful and is a time giver--if you need something she takes the time to help. Yesterday in a work team meeting she let it be known that she had asked for something to be done and when those people hadn't done it, that in the future she expected it to be done. She got her point across without being "the boss". She said what she wanted, why it was necessary, and when she wanted it done. She's good, not perfect, but good.

2. I love beautiful spring weather and we've had a lot this week and the weekend forecast is wonderful!!!

3. Last night my old oven sold. Now I have room in the garage to get the bike out of the barn.

4. Monday night I got to present at my MK meeting. I like to do that, and I was complimented on it.

Hudsonville Tea Party

Spent my lunch hour here as between 600 and 700 people showed up in the Gemmen's parking lot for the Hudsonville Tea Party. There were a lot of good quotes from our founding fathers, but the one that was shared most was from Winston Churchill:

A nation trying to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to pull himself up by the handles.

The crown is back

Update to previous post:

The dentist resealed my crown on but expects it to pop off again. "If" that happens, they will do a new and different type of crown.

I'm going to make an appointment to go ahead and have that done since this time lasted less than 3 weeks. We can do it at a time that is mutually agreeable to my schedule and the dentist's schedule rather than on an emergency schedule.

Royalty no more

Unplanned dental appointment at 11:00a.m. this morning. My crown came off this morning while flossing. So. . .

the bad news: the crown came off
the good news: I could tell the dentist that it happened while flossing!!!

He is Risen

In this morning's sermon the minister quoted the traditional Easter song He Lives. He said if the only proof we have that Christ is risen is not much to build our faith on.

He finished preaching and the choir stood to sing their piece for the offertory. Yes, you guessed it: He Lives.

Where are you?

Recently I was having a discussion about Christ on the cross. The other person was trying to describle the agony of Jesus when He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, wherefore art thou my God?" Since this person often misquotes about anything I just thought that it wasn't right, but kind of let it slide.

His wife begins laughing hysterically from the other room, "Isn't that from Romeo and Juliet and not the Bible?"

Yes, it was kind of hard to not begin laughing today reading that passage for Good Friday.

Basement Lake

Apparently you're not supposed to have a lake under your basement floor.

This is what was left after the dewatering systems guys were here today.

They couldn't find a drain tile so with all the water there either isn't one or if there is they couldn't find it and it's stopped up somewhere. I really don't want them to have to cut up more of the basement floor.

The plan. Get another company to look at the tile or lack thereof situation. The thought is either try to unclog a drain tile if they find it, put in a drain tile, or put in a sump pump.

Calgon Take Me Away

Is today the magic day? Will the water system people come today???

EDIT: Supposedly between 3:30 and 4:00 today!

Movie Reviews

I’m not a big movie watcher—something about the time sitting for a couple of hours even with a Pause button for bathroom breaks and the money that typically leave me thinking I could have used both more valuably. However over the weekend Renae got two movies that although I really had planned to see either left me pleasantly surprised.

I’m also not a big one to read a lot into the meanings of movies. I watch a movie for entertainment, and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Slumdog Millionaire I was left with the sense of God’s love continually reaching out and seeking us. There was also a strong message of the futility of living one’s life in a self-centered money grabbing way versus looking out for the good of others.

The other was Marley and Me. First, my “allergies” really got to me near the end of the movie, and Renae kept reminding me that I don’t like dogs. Second, I was surprised at how much I liked the movie. Yes, it had some sophomoric humor to it, but it was really nice to see a movie with a message of family first—when marriage and family life gets rough you work through it and adjust to the changes that years bring to a relationship.

Two movies in one weekend; I probably won’t watch another movie for months.

WBB Blues

Talk about depressing--both Oklahoma and Stanford lost in the women's tournament yesterday. No t-shirt for me this year.

If I had a dollar for everyone time I said, "I just don't like UConn" during last night's game, I'd be rich! Just ask Renae.

Saturday

Today was beautiful. The sun shone all day and the temp was in the low 50s--a bit chilly but very nice to be outside.

So Renae and I worked with manure. We went to a horse farm to get the manure to spread on the garden to get it ready for planting in a few weeks. My cousin said horse manure is best for rhubarb so we have high expectations this year.

Random Friday thoughts that I haven't blogged this week

This is not a good time of year to buy fruit. The apples just aren’t as tasty and crisp as in the fall and it seems when I buy a bag there are often a lot of bruises that I don’t see until I get home and pull an apple out of the bag. Grapes are just more expensive and they too aren’t as sweet and good as earlier in the year. Clementines, if available, have gone back up to a price I refuse to pay. Strawberries shipped in from California are usually a nice red, but they just aren’t very sweet. Fresh strawberries are still at least seven weeks away.

Last night I went with Glenn and Renae to her induction in Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honor society. It was fun to see her recognized for her hard work the past four years.

Five weeks after the second rain storm that sent water into my basement, the situation is still not corrected. I’m frustrated and tired of getting water up out of the carpet. This is one reason not to be a condo owner.

Last night before leaving for Renae’s honors dinner, she saw a muskrat in the pond. I got the 22, went out on the deck, put the gun on a tripod, found the muskrat in the crosshairs, and plucked it off with one shot from 50 yards away. I thought I’d get a little love from my niece Jaimie about it, but she didn’t answer her phone. Tonight I have to go out with a shovel to bury it as there wasn’t time last night. Maybe another animal got it during the night so I don’t have to. In Klopfensteinese—it eckles me to pick up a dead muskrat with the shovel.

My company has instituted every other Friday shutdowns which results in a 10% reduction in the paycheck. I’ve been analyzing my budget to cut out fluff. One expense I could cut is the newspaper, but my mother said when I was home, “You were born with a newspaper in your hand.” (She also has said I was born tired, but that’s for another post.) I’ve read the paper almost daily since I can remember. As kids we would all try to see when the paper ladies turned on our street and would race to be the first to get the paper. In college I always made sure I ordered the paper for the year to be delivered to my dorm room—The Greenville News had a rate of $20 for the year at that time!!! One of the first things I’ve done whenever I’ve moved is get the paper started. When I was in Illinois I said I knew my life was ok if I had time to read the paper every day, and it was really good if I got to read the paper and watch Jeopardy. I should probably not get the paper now since the rates went up in late fall and will probably go up again, but the fact is that I like the newspaper. So for now I’ve decided I can keep my house a lot colder now and will keep it warmer in the summer to keep getting the newspaper.

Jayne from handbells. I haven’t mentioned her for awhile so I thought I would today.

So which of my random thoughts interested you?

Thankful Thursday

1. While I'm frustrated that I'm having to buy tires after only 40,000 miles, a tire guy told me the ones on my car usually last only 20-25,000 miles. Glad I've gotten an extra 15,000 miles out of them--good, but safe???
2. Found a new DVD recorder at a garage sale last Saturday for just the amount of money I got at Christmas for one. My old one got fried by a thunderstorm last summer.
3. Went to an emergency procedures meeting this morning so if there's a tornado or fire I know how to and where to take cover or evacuate for my safety.
4. John Michael is 12 today!