rk2

Quote

2012-02-22T23:04:00.004-05:00

Most interesting comment of the day:

Romney wants to lead the club not shake up the club.

Thankful Thursday 02/16/12

2012-02-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

Especially for my mother:

1. When I'm really, really tired after class at 10:00 p.m. I'm thankful I have not just one but two jobs.

2. I finally have a computer that I can starting posting Thankful Thursday for my mother.

3. Monday the new carpet comes.

4. Thankful a friend at work has been praying for my sister although she's been praying for AL since I said she was from AL. Ingrid asked who AL was! Later she asked about Haley, and I said "yes, my niece, AL's daughter."

5. Penn Station has finally opened in Grand Rapids, and I'm going (again) tomorrow night!!!

6. Had to ask only one question yesterday on my ARC reconciliation.

It's My Job Apparently

2012-02-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

Conversation at work this morning. M=Me, CW = Co-Worker

CW: Did you identify the $40.53 ACH?
M: (quizically) No, I'm not sure what you are talking about.
CW: Did you check the bank file?
M: No, what would I be looking for?
CW: For the items not identified.
M: OK, I can, but doesn't someone else identify those items?
CW: Well you should check before the end of the month to help.
M: OK, I can do that.
CW: Well, it's your job.
M: OK, but how was I supposed to know that?
CW: Well, it's your job.
M: OK, I will be glad to do that but how was I supposed to know that's my job?
CW: Well, it's your job.

I've been laughing all day. Since it's the first day of the month and we are really busy with two people out, another person kept saying to me "It's your job."

Happy Birthday Dad

2012-01-29T20:44:00.001-05:00

Today is my father's 82nd birthday. I've missed being at a family birthday dinner for him. The plans all fell together within the last week and living 14 hours away made it impossible to be there.

Typically the birthday boy receives gifts, but I'd like to share some of the gifts my father has given me.

The gift of Wal-Mart. This actually means the gift of wise investing--find a good company that you believe in, support it like crazy, and stick with it. He's done this with other companies as well but Wal-Mart sticks out. We knew to refer to a competitor as Bleep-Mart rather than use the letter at the beginning of the real name. In fact, I think my nephew thought K-Mart's real name was Bleep-Mart until he could read. Dad has taught us that the market isn't a get rich quick scheme so when you get in, get in for the long haul.

The gift of generosity. My parents have been very generous to us, but many, many people have been recipients of their generosity. My parents home has been open to thousands of people through the years, and I know they have given many anonymous financial gifts. Once when leaving a restaurant I commented about what I thought was a more than generous tip Dad had left. I remember often his words: In a couple of hours or tomorrow I won't know the difference in giving a few extra dollars in a tip, but a bigger than normal tip for that server may mean the difference in her day.

The gift of work. I have many, many memories of spending time at church and school with Dad as he showed how to mow a yard to look nice and not just get the grass cut. The church had a mower that would die if you tried to mow a too thick patch. He came out once to restart the mower for me, but after that it was "Why did you slug it???" He also showed me how to paint and stain. Every painting project I've done I've put into practice his advice for taking care of the equipment and how to paint well. Yesterday I helped a friend by priming several walls at her house. When she commented how neatly I paint, I just thought, "Well, it's how my dad taught me."

The gift of buck-up. OK, I really don't naturally think of this as a gift because a gift should be pleasurable and nice, but reality is that it is a gift. Through the years when I've called home and needed a little support and just wanted to talk through and complain about life, Dad's comment has been "Well, buck up and you're the person to make it through." I always wanted to say, "Could you put Mom on?" However, the truth is that a lot of life is just bucking up and getting through it. Now I laugh when I hear kids talk about how tough life is and I think, "Oh just buck up. . .."

My dad has been known by many names: Lynn, Dad, Papa, K-daddy, Daddy-K, Bro. Lynn, Mr. Klopfenstein, Lynn Kaye, Lynny-Boy, Uncle Lynn, Lim, and even Punky. However, the most important name he has is Child of God. Over 56 years ago Dad gave his life to Jesus Christ and became Child of God. There is no doubt that he loves God, desires to serve Him, and has been promised an eternity in Heaven with his heavenly Father. And that Dad, is the greatest gift you can give a child.

Thankful Thursday 01/19/12

2012-01-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

1. I'm typing this on my new PC. Lots of people recommended Mac but I can buy several PCs for what I would have had to pay for a Mac. I just didn't want that much money tied up in a laptop. I'm comfortable with a PC and I don't do a lot of graphics work.

2. Lots of snow this past week but no travel issues.

3. Because of my adjunct instructing I'm getting a very, very nice deal on Office!

I Am Getting Old

2012-01-17T17:12:00.000-05:00

Today after work I get "old". I will be picking up my first pair of progressive lens glasses.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm getting them except that I get new glasses only every 3-4 years. My vision insurance allows for either contacts OR glasses in a year instead of both. Technically contacts are good for only a year if you follow their advice about how often to change them. The other reason I wonder about getting them is that unless it's allergy season when I may wear glasses if I can't get my contacts in, then the only time I wear glasses is for 10-15 minutes at night between taking my contacts out and going to sleep.

Oh well, let the aging commence.

Thankful Thursday 01/12/12

2012-01-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

1. Thankful for Jeffrey, my nephew who turns 11 today. Jeffrey has been a joyful boy who has brought much life and laughter to those around him. One of my favorite memories of him was when he gave me the ultimate compliment any 2-year could hear and thus he gave to me, "Aunt Rhoda, you're getting bigger just like me!!!" Yeah, not a compliment to a 40 something lady. However, he made up for be saying multiple times, "Aunt Rhoda, we're cited you're at our house."

2. Seeing little children ride the penny pony ride at Meijer. It's fun to watch their smiles while standing in line waiting for those really slow people at the self-check out lines.

3. The opportunity to work at home when the weather is bad. We'll see if I need that tomorrow.

A Conversation

2012-01-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

My great aunt was in a nursing home for several years. Once a week I would go to visit her often stopping after school to pick up a sandwich for each of us for supper. I loved her dearly but it was often difficult to know what to talk about as our lives were so different and we really didn't know the same people.

Side story: Many people came to her "home" to present musical programs, and Aunt Louise wasn't really into music. She would go to these programs because she wanted to honor that people were coming to do something nice for the residents, but I don't think she really enjoyed them or looked forward to them. Before realizing this one day we were sitting in the big room when I saw the piano. I asked her if she'd like me to play something for her. Her reply was short and quick and not necessarily in that order: "No." It was so matter of fact that I found it humorous. After that I would ask her if she wanted me to play for her just to get that answer!

Anyway, back to original thought. Today the Ann Landers column had a great idea for visiting older people. The writer had found an address book of her older mother-in-law and would go through the book asking her about various people in the book. The mother-in-law enjoyed thinking of people from her past and she knew more details about the past than the present. The writer also learned much about her mother-in-law. The address book gave specific names and helped the mother-in-law remember people. Wish I would have had this idea 20 years ago!

Thankful Thursday 1/5/12

2012-01-05T21:37:00.002-05:00

1. I'm glad Michigan State and Michigan finally won a bowl game each. It's good for the fans in this state to understand how good Alabama fans feel so often.

2. Had a good time and met some new people on New Year's Eve.

Continue in prayer in 2012

2012-01-02T11:52:00.003-05:00

On one of the last days of 2011 I read this post, and I was again reminded of the importance of starting the day with Biblical thought. This morning I read from Charles Spurgeon's Morning devotional.

Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer

You can read the entire devotional here, but these were some statements that stood out to me.

It is interesting to remark how large a portion of SacredWrit is occupied with the subject of prayer, either infurnishing examples, enforcing precepts, or pronouncingpromises. .

Here we find a wrestlingJacob--there a Daniel who prayed three times a day--and a Davidwho with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain wesee Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes ofcommands, and myriads of promises.

If He has said much about prayer,it is because He knows we have much need of it. So deep are ournecessities, that until we are in heaven we must not cease topray.

Dost thou want nothing? Then, I fear thou dost not knowthy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to ask of God? Then, may theLord's mercy show thee thy misery! A prayerless soul is aChristless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant,the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dyingsaint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword,the comfort, the strength, the honour of a Christian. I

The mottofor this year must be, "Continue in prayer."

2011-12-30T17:10:00.000-05:00

Random observations from today:

I am wearing a purple sweater today. Unfortunately I’m also wearing a red coat which makes me look like an old lady from the Red Hat Society!

Apparently everyone is trying to use their vision insurance and flex spending accounts before the end of the year just as I am. I went at lunch to order new glasses and the place was quite busy.

The glasses I apparently chose the other night that I went back to order today are not what I remembered them to look like.

A lady just walked through to see if she was the only person upstairs who was working. She thinks this is a great week to work rather than take off—so many are gone and there is less work going on. It’s quiet to get a lot of heads down work done, and typically the weather isn’t very nice. Except for wanting to be gone to visit family for the holidays I guess I agree with her.

Thankful Thursday 12/29/11

2011-12-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

1. For 2676 days I have had heat available as needed at my home. There has now been only 1 that I haven't. Hopefully the repair guy will be able to just light the pilot light and not say I need a new furnace--although it will be a very expensive pilot lighting if so.

2. A wonderful, wonderful Christmas holiday with family. Everyone was very generous in giving, and we had great time together. I missed Lindsay, Emma, Whitney, Jaimie and TJ very much.

3. A nice travel voucher for the inconvenience of arriving at my destination 5 1/2 hours after originally planned.

4. Chik-fil-A sandwich for lunch today--so thankful it's in the Atlanta airport!

5. A good friend who was willing to pick me up at 10:30 pm instead of 5 pm. Thankfully she is on vacation today!

EDIT: Just heard the heat kick on and can feel it as I sit right by the register. Heat is a good thing!!!

2011-12-23T17:05:00.000-05:00

Why do mis-spelled words stand out to me, and why do I feel I must let the webmaster know? And why do I get pleasure when I see the correction?

Thankful Thursday correct day of the week

2011-12-22T17:01:00.001-05:00

1. Several weeks ago I misplaced a pair of earrings. I thought I had put them in a pocket and then they must have fallen out. Today I put my hands in my pockets during a work team meeting and behold, the earrings were in my pants pocket!

2. Two days from right now I should be with family in the South!

3. Although friends here are disappointed that west Michigan will have a green Christmas, the weather is perfect for my flying out Saturday.

4. Loved hearing my nephew sing Silent Night acapella with a trio--thanks to links that I can't find to link to.

Christmas Prep

2011-12-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

1. Ceramic Christmas tree from Aunt Louise and Aunt Hulda up. When I got it out a few days I unpacked the box completely to find all of the lights. At the bottom of the box was a note that said, "For Mary K." Oops, I may have to give it to her.

2. Candle lights in the windows thanks to a friend's help.

3. Springerles made thanks to Betty's help and a quick trip to IL.

4. Co-workers gifts purchased, bagged, and ready to take to work tomorrow.

5. Christmas letters written and will go in the mail tomorrow.

6. All gifts to take south are purchased.

7. Chocolates made.

8. Chocolate cookies made but they are not good so will need to re-do.

9. Outside decorations put up.

10. Ornaments bought and mailed.

11. (Still working on) Focusing on why Jesus came to earth and the love of God that sent Him.

God loves me so much, that I was worth Jesus to Him.

God love you so much, that you were worth Jesus to Him.

Thankful Thursday Late

2011-12-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm late by a day this week.

1. Text messaging--it's been fun to be in touch with three of my nieces during their exams although I got in touch with them on the last day of Mary Lee's, Haley's were just starting, and Lauren's were the following week. With Haley and Lauren I was able to know each day what exam they have which made praying for them more meaningful.
2. Text messaging-I got a message from my father today that was more than "OK" now that he has a QWERTY keyboard.
3. Another niece told me Verizon no longer requires a data plan for my phone so I'm 9.99 + tax richer every month now.
4. A couple of days at work were kind of rough this week. My work team leader realized that and was extremely helpful today and very patient explaining some new processes for me.
5. Annual pumpkin pancake breakfast tomorrow. Can't wait. Well, I can wait long enough to finish cleaning up and getting set up for it.
6. Payday today!
7. Lots of Christmas activities: Nutcracker, Calvary Church Festival of Lights, Grace Bible Christmas concert, Embellish Christmas concert and Christmas chocolate making--5 activities in 6 nights. I was glad to be at home last night!

The Nutcracker

2011-12-09T23:31:00.001-05:00

Tonight I went to The Nutcracker for the first time. I went in not expecting to like it a lot because several people have said they saw it once and that was enough for them. However, I really enjoyed it. The dream sequence got a bit long but the gracefulness combined with strength was very enjoyable. It was also good to put a visual with the music I'd heard often. I was glad I'd read the storyline in the program before the performance began.

The downside: People find you seat on time. If it's in the middle of a long row, don't wait until 7:29 much less 7:32 for a 7:30 start. If your child is too young to stay up until 9:30 p.m. so that you have to walk out with them at a critical point, then wait until your child is older to bring them or take them to a matinee. If your infant is likely to have a blowout requiring you to leave and then return during critical parts, find a baby sitter or stay home until the infant is old enough to watch. (see previous sentence) And lastly, if you absolutely must leave and return, know which row you are sitting in so you don't have to look down every aisle and go back and forth doing so.

Can you tell that our view was interrupted numerous time throughout the performance?

I may not want to go next year, but I would definitely go again.

Thankful Thursday 12/8/11

2011-12-08T18:38:00.001-05:00

1. Met a cousin for dinner last night. He is in the area on business this week. It was nice connecting with him as I'm not sure we have ever really talked. There have been very few family get togethers we were both at and if we were we each talked to others and our paths really didn't cross. Somehow my going to there home for me to play with them when I was about 10 and he as 3 or so probably doesn't count as talking or connecting.

2. Bought some flavored EVOO today and enjoyed putting it on pasta tonight with some mozzarella cheese. I suppose putting ham chunks in it kind of took away from it, but I thought it was good. (Yes, Mom I had mixed vegetables as well.)

3. A co-worker says I'm really learning quickly. Thankfully she said it before I didn't really know how to correct any of the errors today.

4. Had a nice visit with the neighbors last night when I stopped by their house to pick up a tray of Christmas goodies. I don't think either of us expected it to turn into a 90-minute visit!

5. Two nieces are finished with exams!

6. The ornaments are in the mail. Hopefully they will arrive in time in AL for when my sister's family puts up their tree.

Ornaments

2011-12-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

The ornaments are ready to go in the mail tomorrow!

This is all 10. Yes, I am constantly putting them in this order to make sure I have everyone. Yes, the rocking horse does look a lot like a sleigh. Yes, the snowman is made out of just one big snowflake. And yes, I wish the crafter had made a snowflake in red so all would be the same.

Here are some closeups of several to see a bit more of the detail in the "lace".

Paying It Forward

2011-12-05T20:58:00.001-05:00

Tonight a man from church came with his daughter to help me fix a few things at my house. My toilet was wobbly and the kitchen garbage disposal needed to be replaced. The daughter said she likes to help her father out.

A plus for me was that I got to make 3 trips to Gemmen's, the most wonderful hardware store, to get various parts. Another man from church said it's impossible to do a job without 3 trips to Gemmen's.

When he was finished I was ready to settle up for him. He was very noncommittal about a price but finally said an amount that was actually was I was hoping it would be. As I wrote the check I added $10 and told him to take the daughter for a little treat for her help. He said he was splitting it with her to apply to a mission trip the two of them are taking later this winter to Mexico.

Seeing the daughter helping out her father reminded me of working with Dad around home, church, and school so I was already touched to see them work together. Thinking of the spending time together on a mission trip meant a lot to me as well.

God has blessed me recently and because of some recent gifts and work I was able to give them significantly more than the sum he had mentioned. I hope it blesses them as much as I was blessed writing out that check.

Thankful Thursday 12/1/11

2011-12-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

Can't believe it's December already!!!

1. First paycheck tomorrow at new job.
2. Did just enough shopping on Black Friday to get some good deals but not too much to spend too much money.
3. An interesting discussion in Sunday morning's Bible study leading to an anticipated study this coming Sunday.
4. Looking forward to a getting a lesson in springerle making from the guru of springerle baking!!!
5. Internet access at home--I held out for a long time but it certainly is nice to have.
6. Today is my second day without health insurance, but at least I know I will have it again in another month. I think about the families who don't have health insurance and have little to no hope of getting it and don't have the resources to provide healthcare as needed.
7. Tuesday night on the way to class I was a bit nervous that there would be snow and even more traffic on the E. Beltline due to the Meijer visitation; however, I think the traffic was actually better than is typical.
8. Today at work I actually did something by myself. Well, I checked the account, found the problem, got the correction, told my "trainer" what I needed to do to correct the problem, and then made the correction.

Thankful Thursday 11/17/11

2011-11-17T17:16:00.001-05:00

1. So glad for our medical facilities. While we may get an appointment as soon as we want I would rather be sick or have a health issue in the US than in any other country.

2. I'm finally starting to breathe again following a pretty nasty cold and I stayed awake all day despite a miserable night with a lack of sleep.

3. Only an expected hour and 20 minute wait for my oil change right now rather than the 2-3 hours I thought it may be.

4. Excited to have a photographer on the Israel trip share pictures from Arnon since we couldn't take cameras.

Under the waterfall being reminded about God's love being full bore.

Kind of hard to see but Renae is next in line to climb the rock and I am right behind her.

Thankful Thursday 11/10/11

2011-11-10T16:48:00.001-05:00

1. Andrew's birthday. He's one of the three greatest nephews in the world. It's great to see him grow into a many who loves God.

2. A family weekend celebrating a milestone birthday for my sister.

3. Today was my going away lunch. I've worked with some really good people for the past 7 years and I will miss them beginning Monday.

4. For 2 1/2 years I've played foosball every week. Hopefully I've improved and Jason has gotten exponentially better. I will miss playing.

A Weekend Birthday Getaway

2011-11-09T22:28:00.001-05:00

What a great weekend. I psuedo surprised my sister for her 50th birthday. Saturday morning my job was to occupy her while her husband and daughter's put together a surprise pancake breakfast. Mary and I went to Chik-fil-A for a chicken biscuit and then off to a manicure. Thankfully the plan worked well for us to stop at the clubhouse to "pick up some tableclothes to take back to WalMart." She followed me in and was surprised as she was expecting a potato bar lunch at 1:30. Her husband did a great job of getting someone for almost every phase of her life there. An aunt and uncle from IL drove down, and other guests included a childhood friend we grew up with, a couple from the church in which we grew up, a missionary friend from Antigua, previous work friends, family, and church friends.

I also got to meet my first great niece. Emma, you are so sweet and I loved you sleeping on me Saturday afternoon. I think you found the Alabama sweatshirt to be quite comfortable.

Despite the awful outcome it was great to watch the AL/LSU game with people who cared about the game. Sunday was back at CBC. It was great to see Dad leading the singing with Greg at the piano. Then we had a great lunch with Duttons. I think I'll buy a boston butt pork roast and try some hints Dusty gave me, but I'm not buying a Green Egg to do so.

Had a nice quiet evening with Joey and Mary who graciously watched "the trip" pictures and asked a lot of questions. Monday morning was back to MI.

Meeting Emma

Making Morton Pumpkin Festival pumpkin pancakes

Aunt and two nieces

A childhood friend--everyone looks so innocent!

Great grandmother, GrandMom holding Emma, and Great Grandpa

...And We Don't Drive Model Ts Anymore

2011-11-03T20:36:00.001-04:00

Ever since I can remember being able to read which would mean our first year in Decatur, every day except rare occasions I have held the newspaper in my hand to read it. As kids we would race to the yard to be the first to get the newspaper and by far one of the best times of the week for me is when I first get up on Saturday morning. I put on the coffee, step out the front door, pick up the paper and then read it.

I have a set order to read a paper. Typically I'm a section A to the end kind of reader, but the GR Press puts the comics at the back of section B so here on weekdays my order is A, C, B. Yes, that's one of my quirks. And don't start me on people who read the paper before I do and don't put the sections back together very nicely. OK, that's my second newspaper quirk.

Every time I've moved (pause for all the groans and comments people are saying or thinking about the number of times I've moved!), about the first thing I would do after finding a place to live was to order the newspaper.

Yesterday the GR Press announced that they are doing away with home delivery on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday!!! I am devastated. It is not the same to hold a laptop and read "the paper". I like the feel of the newspaper and the Press on-line doesn't include features that I like such as the advice columns or comics. The Sunday paper lists many sporting events for Saturday as TBA and the Saturday morning paper announces the teams who are playing.

I'm pretty sure I'm not getting dressed to go out and buy a newspaper on Saturday mornings.

I realize this is a sign of the times and many people don't subscribe to the newspaper anymore, but this is a serious change to my weekends and weekday life, and I don't like it.

Thankful Thursday 11/3/11

2011-11-03T14:20:00.001-04:00

1. This morning I woke up to a text message from a niece which read "Love you and hope you'r having a great week!" Wow!!!

2. Went to a Straight No Chaser concert last night. Apparently Renae and I are the only over 40 year old women in the GR area who had never heard of this group, but we both really enjoyed the concert. I texted a nephew to see if he had heard of the group. His quick reply was "Absolutely. The acapella group from Indiana University." I took a picture of the group on stage and replied, "You mean this group?" He said "very cool" to which I replied "Yep, that's your Aunt Rhoda--the epitome of cool."

3. Saw a tree with the most vibrant red leaves last night. It was beautiful especially since our color is past peak and many trees have their winter look.

4. Thankful for my sister and that she will celebrate a milestone birthday this weekend. The distance makes it essentially impossible to get to big events like that. Happy Birthday anyway.

Thankful Thursday 10/27/11

2011-10-27T17:31:00.000-04:00

1. It was good see all my siblings and parents as well as many other extended family members and friends even though the occasion was the visitation for and funeral of my aunt.
2. Safety for all of us travelling from 4 different states.
3. The sun came out after a rainy and cloudy couple of days.

Why do I think of many things during the week and then forget them when I get ready to post?

Travel Insurance Dilemma

2011-10-26T12:39:00.001-04:00

I remember growing up my father described auto insurance as the insurance company betting you wouldn't have a wreck and you betting you would. Why would you bet against yourself?

Yesterday I bought my airline ticket for my Christmas travel. I bought it through a travel agency with a small ticketing fee because if there are any issues they let you know of upcoming issues, rebook you, etc. I felt as if I was betting them I would have problems travelling and they are betting I won't. Why am I on their side?

Aunt Marian

2011-10-21T17:13:00.000-04:00

This morning I got a phone call that my Aunt Marian had passed away. After a stroke last evening she was on some type of breathing machine and when the machine was turned off she continued to breathe which was not expected.

This morning I sat at my desk at work and thought of the many, many meals she cooked that I got to enjoy. I had to smile as I thought that although the medical community has developed very sophisticated equipment and they think they know when life will end, I think God said I've known Marian since before the world began, and I've held her in my hand throughout her earthly life. In fact I loved Marian so much that she was worth Jesus to me. So go ahead and turn off the machine and I will walk my dear child home when it is the time I have chosen for her.

And then I think Aunt Marian stepped across the shore and found it heaven, touched a hand and found it God's, breathed new air and found it celestial, and woke up in glory and found it Home.

Finally Home

When alarmed by the fury of the restless sea,
Towering waves before you roll,
At the end of doubt and peril is eternity,
Though fear and conflict seize your soul

Just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven
Of touching a hand, and finding it God's
Of breathing new air, and finding it celestial
Of waking up in Glory, and finding it "Home"

When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night,
Oh how lonely death can be,
At the end this long tunnel is a shinning light,
For death is swallowed-up in Victory, (Victory!)

Just think of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven
Of touching a hand, and finding it God's
Of breathing new air, and finding it celestial
Of waking up in Glory, and finding it "Home"

Finally Home! ...by Don Wyrtzen

Thankful Thursday 10/20/11

2011-10-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

1. Medical and dental insurance are a great thing; I'm blessed to have both. It amazes me how much I still have to pay even with insurance so trying to imagine paying without insurance is scary.

2. Had a good report at the doctor's office yesterday.

3. Saturday night was a great evening sharing the trip with friends. 26 people total were there, and most have commented about enjoying it--in a way that if they didn't they wouldn't have had to say what they did. They could have been polite saying less.

4. Tonight is the last night of class. This has been a great group and I will miss teaching them. In two weeks I will start a new class. The opportunity to teach is good.

Thankful Thursday 10/13/11

2011-10-13T19:56:00.001-04:00

1. A wonderful birthday on Saturday. Lots of phone calls and nice gifts. It was especially to get calls from nieces and nephews who still seem as if they should be 4 or 5 years old but have all grown into such nice young men and women.

2. A good friend took good care of me on Tuesday following some medical procedures. Thanks, Renae. Feeling good after that.

3. No cavities, crowns needed, etc. at my dentist appointment today.

4. What wonderful beautiful weather we have had the last couple of weeks. I'd keep it for a long time.

5. Reconnected with a former co-worker this week as I got to see his men's and women's soccer teams play a local college. And his school won!

Thankful Thursday 10/7/11

2011-10-07T21:32:00.001-04:00

Oops, missed yesterday so I'm one day late.

1. Emma Lynne arrived safely on Tuesday at 8 lb. 2 oz. and 20 inches long.
2. What beautiful weather we are having. I could keep this for a long, long time!
3. Good cohort I have in class right now.
4. Baseball playoffs. I've watched more this year than several previous years and the Braves aren't even in it!!!

Thankful Thursday 09/29/11

2011-09-29T12:44:00.003-04:00

1. Well, of course, the trip was just amazing. More posts to come, but it is taking some time to work through the pictures.

2. Met some great people on the trip that I hope we maintain contact.

3. A new class at CU begins tonight. I enjoy teaching but there is always a bit of apprehension about meeting a new group. This is a four-week class so just about the time we get comfortable, the class is over.

4. Have been to ArtPrize twice. Saw a very colorful painting of a floor full of toys last night at the Public Museum. That was my favorite of the night I think. Last Saturday I really liked a piece of old crayons at the Diocese and the large exhibit made from used lottery tickets at UICA. Great message in that one. And at the Art Museum I liked the picture collage of an old barn.

This is a picture made from 5 colors of duck tape! It's at the Public Museum

5. I'm trying out some different contacts. A few mornings the contact has moved in my right eye while getting ready in the morning. This morning I tried to find it in my eye and couldn't do it. I thought that it surely couldn't be in the shower still but when I pulled back the curtain--there it was!

I learned on the trip that the rabbis taught you are to "bless" (praise/thank) God 100 times a day to acknowledge all He does for you. I'm thinking about changing the name of my (almost) weekly post, but I probably won't try to list 100 items.

Holy Land Trip pt. 1

2011-09-25T20:20:00.001-04:00

So many things to share following 16 days on a trip to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt with an overnight in Turkey. There will be more posts and more pics as I process this amazing trip.

This is us ready to leave on a bus ride to O'Hare. We certainly look fresh don't we?

This is me at the top of the Mt. of Olives overlooking the Old City. You can see the Dome of the Rock in the background.

A highlight of the trip was getting to know my new Bluffton friends. Here Myra, Shari, and I are walking on David St. after going to the Wailing Wall on Shebat (Friday evening). Myra's husband, Steve, took the picture. Shari e-mailed from a list of e-mail addresses of trip participants and we realized we have the same church background, and Steve is actually a 3rd cousin! It was definitely a small world thing.

Thankful Thursday 9/1/11

2011-09-01T20:46:00.000-04:00

Wow, September already!

1. Only five days!!!
2. A family at church who know of some of the things I've been dealing with have been very encouraging.
3. Chest pain is essentially gone.
4. Glad I don't have the dread of starting a new school year on Tuesday. Sometimes it's nicer to have just kept working and to know I can take a vacation even in the middle of September, or October, or November, or January--you get the point.

2011 Fair Result

2011-08-29T17:09:00.000-04:00

Five pieces, three ribbons, and a check. That's the result from my entries in the fair this year. We didn't put in any vegetables this year as we have only peppers and tomatoes. The judges just look at salsa and don't taste it so we don't put any of our salsa in the open event.

Here is what I entered:

I got a third place for the hanky holder and a fifth place for both the butter mold and the afghan. The final result: a premium check for $6.75!

Thankful Thursday on Friday 08/26/11

2011-08-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

1. My niece's surgery yesterday went well and she is on the mend.
2. Despite a bit of a health scare this week, I'm ok.
3. Jayne, a good friend who took me to a dr. appointment and then later in the evening to the ER.
4. Jayne and Renae who sat in the ER until 11:45 with me.
5. After checking a previous medical bill and questioning a charge, the billing service is taking off a charge because the dr. didn't order that test. Hmmm, makes me wonder how often something gets added because "they typically do that when they do the other procedure." Also makes me wonder how many people are careful to read the bills especially if they have insurance that would pay the majority of the bill. Would I have looked so carefully if it wasn't all out of pocket for me?
6. It's a beautiful weather report for the weekend!
7. Lots of family and friends who were praying for me this week.

New Calling?

2011-08-22T12:45:00.001-04:00

Thanks to a friend in OH I was able to make this call this morning:

Good morning. My air conditioning went out on Saturday and I think the fan capaciter needs to be replaced. These are the model and serial numbers. Will you be able to have someone come out and do that?

So in case your a/c isn't working and you hear the compressor running but the fan isn't, you need to take a pencil or screwdriver and try to move the fan. If it starts moving it's the capciter (sp?) and if the fan is locked up then the bearings are probably bad and you'll need a new fan motor.

Any more information and I may have to charge you.

This Week

2011-08-21T18:10:00.000-04:00

It's Fair Week!!! Tonight is a concert with two Christian groups. T

Tuesday and Wednesday nights are off-road races, and Saturday night is the demolition derby. I'm surprised how much I like these two events which has lead me to say, "I never knew I was a redneck 'til I moved to Hudsonville.

Thankful Thursday

2011-08-18T17:05:00.000-04:00

1. What a good week for lunches:
      Monday with Heather and the boys and I won the "7000" game!!!
      Tuesday a picnic at the park. It was so much fun to watch a few kids chase the Canada geese and wonder when the geese were going to retaliate.
      Wednesday with Jayne at our breakfast place.
2. This time of year provides the best drives to work. The trees, flowers, and crops have filled out and are maturing so it's very green. The rolling countryside is just nice as I drive through the country from the Hudsonville to the Zeeland exit.
3. I think of myself as a glass is half empty kind of person so I'm thankful when I realize that compared to another person I'm much more glass is half full thinker.
4. Got a great deal on a baby gift this week!
5. My niece's dye test came back with good results. When her father sent a picture of her in recovery I thought she be dyed, but she wasn't. I was thinking neon blue, green, or orange!

Summer Project

2011-08-16T17:15:00.001-04:00

During one of the hottest weeks of the sumer I spent two evenings cutting 1/2" pvc into 18", 12", and 6" pieces. There are also 16 packages of 1/2" Ts as well.

All of those parts fit together to make these:

I got so tired of year after year having our wire tomato cages fall over that I designed my own. Our tomatoes haven't been the best this year, but we had enough for at least one day of canning salsa. The nice thing is we can leave these out all winter.

An designer or engineer would not like my design: 30 pieces of pvc with 20 connecting Ts.

Thankful Thursday 08/04/11

2011-08-04T13:11:00.000-04:00

1. I drove a rental car on Monday and Tuesday while my car was in the body shop getting some work done. I'm so thankful I don't have to drive that brand and model all the time. At 70 mph on the interstate my arms were shaking so much on the steering wheel!
2. My vehicle is so nicely clean because the body shop does such a great job cleaning the inside even though they work on the outside!
3. The body shop gave me coupons for 2 free hand car washes!!!
4. The cooler temp and a nice breeze made for a good night to pick blueberries. Last night I picked 9 lbs. and picked up a new recipe sheet. This year I think I'll try the blueberry pound cake except pound cake has a lot of butter. One year I made the blueberry cake for the church picnic. It was all gone, but I think people thought the blueberries were chocolate chips!
5. Had my first tomatoes out of the garden last week. Oh, homegrown tomatoes are wonderful!!!

What I Was Reminded of In Church Today

2011-07-31T19:56:00.000-04:00

Jude 24 and 25: Whatever the events of my life, I am in the presence of God and can have the favor of God. That is joy.

I John 2
a follower of God = sacrificial love for others
sacrificial service for others is not equal to being a follower of God.

an antichrist is a deceiver, a liar, went out from among believers, and denies Jesus is God.
Many talk of God or god, but the conversation changes when you speak of Jesus.

My parents always talk of the marriage triangle, but the Bible study leader today used the triangle in any relationship especially in referring to fellowship of believers. Place two people at the bottom of the two points of a triangle with God at the top point. The closer the two people get to God, the closer they get to each other. I kind of liked it just being a marriage triangle because then it didn't apply to me!

Church today was strong on teaching but very practical to try to live out this coming week.

Thankful Thursday 07/28/11

2011-07-28T20:43:00.000-04:00

1. So thankful for safety in the many times we don't realize how close we are to being in a serious accident.
2. Thankful family is all safe after various car mishaps and accidents.
3. Braves won last night, and Phillies lost.
4. Picked first tomatoes of the year. Oh that BLT was good, good, good!!!

The July Challenge

2011-07-23T14:41:00.000-04:00

In a previous post, I talked about the challenges of a local business during July since there are 3 payrolls to meet but also 5 Sundays so only 26 days to make money to meet an extra payroll. I decided to go in an extra time or two this month, and my sister said to go get a cup of coffee too. One morning this week I got a caramel latte "on" her. Last night Renae said to stop and get a coffee for her on my way to house this morning to work in the garden.

This morning I talked to the owner and told him about my sister in SC and my friend here wanting to help meet the challenges of July. He was quite thankful and encouraged.

As I walked out he said, "Keep sending them in!"

So, if you are in Hudsonville area stop at Mocha 'n Music and tell them Rhoda sent you.

Thankful Thursday 7/21/11 pt. 2

2011-07-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

Forgot to mention

Friday evening while eating on the deck at the lake cottage we saw an eagle swoop down twice to get a fish. He wasn't a very good hunter!

Thankful Thursday 07/21/11

2011-07-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

1. Air conditioning.
2. A great weekend get away at the lake. Caught a lot of fish, kayaked, spent a lot of time on the boat in the afternoons reading, swimming, sleeping.
3. Air conditioning
4. Tomatoes are starting to ripen--I'll pick the first one tonight!
5. Air conditioning.
6. Did I say air conditioning?

A New Look Going the Same Way

2011-07-21T08:32:00.000-04:00

The westbound lanes of one of my routes to work has been rerouted to the right lane of the eastbound lanes due to construction. It's amazing how a different direction makes the drive to work completely different as I saw many different things and things in a different perspective. Apply this to life, work, relationships, etc. and think about looking at the situation from a different view can change perspective and ideas.

A 3 Paycheck Month

2011-07-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

I have loved being on a bi-weekly payday which means twice a year there are three paychecks in a month. It doesn't really change my daily spending but kind of nice to have a little extra lump of money those two months.

The other day I was in a local business and never thought about the issues this presents for the owner. He meets a payroll every other Friday. July 2011 has three Fridays that are paydays. His business is closed on Sundays. There are 5 Sundays in July 2011. This means he has only 26 days of the month to meet the 3 payrolls. There next July like this will occur in 300+ years according to him.

So I plan to stop and buy an extra coffee or two from him this month. I like his shop, and I want him to stay open in my hometown.

Thankful Thursday 7/14/11

2011-07-14T06:56:00.001-04:00

A lot has happened since last Thursday to be thankful for:

1. No traffic issues driving through Chicago last Friday. Either I didn't have to leave work as early as I did or it's a good thing I did.
2. It was wonderful to see many Klopfenstein family members over the weekend.
3. Thanks to Cousin Judy for hosting me in her home.
4. Had an good and interesting time at the Normal Cornbelters game. "Let's Go Corn!" sounds like "Let's Grow Corn!" or "Let's Go Home!" when many people are chanting it.
5. Co-workers who cover me when I'm gone who are flexible with my plans. I wanted to be at the cottage on Monday and Tuesday but when we woke up to a thunderstorm I said I was going into work. I worked on Monday and will take Friday off instead.
6. I caught 7 bass in just one day of fishing!!!
7. Safety driving back from the cottage last night especially after dark when the deer are more difficult to see.
QUESTION: Why do deer not move when they see you coming? Why do they stand there until you stop and then move?
8. Watermelon--one of my favorite fruits of the summer!

Thankful Thursday 07/07/11

2011-07-07T17:46:00.000-04:00

Mostly I'm thankful that when a process finishes running-hopefully soon--I'll be able to leave work. It's been a 10+ hour non-stop day.

Thankful I get to see extended family this weekend.

Thankful for friends to share 4th of July fireworks. (And I'm thankful Allendale is as good or better than Grandville fireworks!!!)

I'm tired, and I'm out of here.

Thankful Thursday 06/30/11

2011-06-30T17:54:00.000-04:00

1. This. Need I say more? It was an excellent work dinner.
2. Got a very sweet thank you note from a niece this week that made my heart melt.
3. Friends who helped me install, make that installed for me, a new dryer.
4. Bonus that made it less hurtful to buy a new dryer.
5. Three day weekend is coming up!!!
6. Living in a country that celebrates its independence and freedom.

Dinner

2011-06-30T08:47:00.002-04:00

Just another normal summer dinner at the Klopfenstein home!

The menu:

Gazpacho

With blue crab

Lobster Mousseline in Lemon Sole

Asparagus bundle & tarragon cream sauce

Artisan Lettuce

Boursin crostini, Michigan cherries

Pistachios, cracked black pepper & sweet

Cherry vinaigrette

Duck Breast Medallion

Wrapped in apple wood bacon, served with

Braised fennel, baby corn & duck jus

Coffe Petit All-Natural Beef Filet

Peruvian whipped potatoes, chanterelle

Mushrooms, tomato fondue & red wine

Reduction

Chef’s Dessert Display

Yeah, right!

Company Picnic

2011-06-25T19:14:00.000-04:00

Today was our annual company picnic. It is held at the county fairgrounds, and while it is geared towards families with children there is still plenty that I find enjoyable. I always play both sessions of bingo, play a golf game, and do some trivia or Price is Right. This year there were also several Minute to Win It games, and I won at stacking 7 metal nuts. This was the first year I didn't win a bingo prize. I did get my yearly supply of golf tees and missed hitting the bucket by 1/4" according to the golf game director.

They serve a great meal of grilled chicken, hotdogs, bar-b-q pork, cole slaw, baked beans, potatoes, and fruit. There are various stands with Schwan ice cream treats, elephant ears, cotton candy, caramel corn, and fruit.

I'm glad my company wants to do something fun and entertaining for us. To me it's a nice benefit. I find it interesting that people either love the picnic or won't touch it. I look forward to it every year.

Thankful Thursday 06/23/11

2011-06-23T17:31:00.000-04:00

These have been a busy few weeks.

1. I had a wonderful weekend with family at Jaimie's wedding.
2. A direct flight to ATL with carry on luggage meant no hassles getting there.
3. Lindsey with her month old driver's license was a great chauffeur.
4. The rain stopped and the sun came out for perfect weather for the wedding and outdoor reception.
5. Had fun with a goofy picture with the Klopfenstein and Bailes nieces and nephew at the wedding.
6. We found the church, the reception and the hotel. Mary had great directions!!!
7. Despite getting rained out at the Braves game on Saturday late afternoon I had a great time with John Michael who ran ahead of me to the car and came back to find me walking through the parking lot drenched with an umbrella for the rest of the walk to the car!
8. A good church service with Lauren and JM.
9. All three of us sitting there knowing we all got good Skittles from our fathers. (You had to be at Buckhead Church to understand.)
10. A good chauffeur to the train station.
11. Getting back in reasonable time.
12. Having a friend with a pool to cool off in after a long hot day of travel.
13. Getting to see the Raleigh Ringers with two great friends.
14. Seeing a project I've been working on with a team since September host its first event on Tuesday. It was a huge success with the need for only a small amount of tweaking.
15. A bonus just in time to buy a new dryer since the motor on the 31+ year old one at my house went out.

Thankful Thursday 06/08/11

2011-06-09T17:36:00.000-04:00

Today is not the day to get this e-mail when my next flight leaves at 5:45AM!

Dear Valued Customer,

Effective immediately, Airport check-in for Delta operated flights departing from Grand Rapids, MI (GRR) has changed.

We recommend that you arrive at the airport 90 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time and check in at least 60 minutes prior to departure. This change is needed due to increased security checkpoint congestion during peak travel times.

1. Thankful I have a reason to fly.
2. Thankful I have a job that allows me to fly.
3. Thankful it's a short trip so parking will not cost an arm and a leg or half my car's value.

2011-06-07T17:10:00.002-04:00

I spent some time on the production floor today. I was so hot just walking through for 25 minutes.

Thanks Mm and Dad for the encouragement of a college education!

What a Week

2011-06-03T12:09:00.000-04:00

What a week this has been with our fiscal year end at work.

Highlights:
1. Watching the Indy 500--it's much more interesting after having taken a track tour.
2. A holiday on Monday.
3. A round of golf Monday morning. This saying is very, very true for that round--a bad day on the golf course is always better than a good day at work!
4. Dinner with Jayne on Tuesday night.
5. I read a book strictly for enjoyment this week.
6. Special treats at work for year end.
7. I actually had time to make meatloaf last night!

Lowlights:
Don't want to think about them.

Tomorrow I do a 20-mile bike ride for a work event that raises money for the families of employees who have died in the past year. It's a neat thing my company does, and I'm riding with a friend. Hopefully by the end it will be a highlight.

Rule of 9--Thanks Dad

2011-05-27T17:19:00.000-04:00

As a senior in high school I took a bookkeeping class. When we were learning about balancing checkbooks my father taught me the rule of 9 trick--if the difference is divisible by 9 there is almost certainly a transposition error.

Today as I tied out one of the cash files with the bank report there was a $270.00 difference. Thanks to Dad I looked for the transposition error, found it fairly quickly and made the correction.

Thanks Dad, you saved me a lot of time and work today and probably Tuesday as well!!!

Thankful Thursday 05/26/11

2011-05-26T12:47:00.000-04:00

1. Obviously two very, very good back to back trips in 2 1/2 weeks.

2. Even though I had my typical issue when I got to the airport for my trip South, the rerouting actually got me to Huntsville an hour earlier!!! And no issues on the return.

3. Tuesday I got to play golf. The course is in bad shape, but it's cheap, cheap, cheap. And since ladies are not showing up for the ladies league the course manager may just let me and my friends play for free on Tuesday nights.

4. Balls lost: 0

Vacation Recap

2011-05-25T17:25:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful couple weeks of vacation separated by two days of work. There is really too much to recap, but there are a few things that stood out to me.

It's been a long time since I took a really relaxing vacation. Typically I visit family and try to get in as much as I can to see as many of them as I can. As a result I often think "I need to get back to work to get some rest" even though I absolutely love seeing everyone. Aruba was so relaxing and I really came back changed. It was a great reminder of the need for Sabbath or a sanctuary.

Aruba is very deserty once you get away from the beach. And it's windy too.

I think tourist guides in Aruba are told to say the last place the AL girl was seen was at a hotel rather than to answer where she was supposedly left.

I'm not an iguana fan, but it was kind of cool how many were there. They have iguana road kill like we have deer or possum road kill. I wonder if Aruban rednecks have a roadkill cookbook?

My parents new town needs some good west Michigan greenhouses for flowers!

I never feel like cattle more than checking in for a flight or going through airport security.

While in line on Sunday a.m. at security in HSV the big screen showed a news report of tornadoes in the midwest that would eventually hit Joplin. There was a collective gasp among the people in line, and it was obvious that the reality of devastating tornadoes was a very fresh memory.

One of the funniest things I saw last week was a child about 2 or 3 years old walking in front of his home following his mother. The only things he had on were a pull-up and a motorcycle helmet that was much too big for him.

I got Chik-fil-A two days in a row!!!

Except for Christmas (and not always then), it is rare that I get to see every family member on one of my trips south. This time the only person I missed was my brother-in-law.

My nephew is cute even with an almost buzz cut.

Sunday night I slept for 10 hours and it felt very, very good.

Thankful Thursday 05/05/11

2011-05-05T07:26:00.002-04:00

1. V A C A T I O N!!!
Need I say more? Yes,

2. So thankful for a mother who loves God, loves her husband, and loves her family in that order. I will miss seeing her and talking to her on Sunday but can't wait to see you soon, Mom!!!

3. Little Ander is graduating from college on Saturday! Woot! Woot!

Thankful Thursday 04/28/11

2011-04-28T12:44:00.000-04:00

1. So thankful for safety for family members across the South who were spared with the severe storms yesterday and last night.

2. So thankful for a couple of nieces and the fiance of one of them have the ability, resources, and desire to go out today to share food and help clear debris for those who have damage to their homes. While many young people would do so, I also many who would take this off as a free day with so many businesses and schools closed.

3. So thankful this weekend we could celebrate that despite the darkness of the death of Jesus on Good Friday we could celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday!

4. Thankful I have patient co-workers who put up with my hacking and dry cough.

5. Thankful my parents could be at Andrew's performance recital on Saturday and be in Atlanta today with other grandchildren.

6. Thankful Andrew's recital went well. The recital is the pinnacle event for a performance major which means he is close to finishing his college career. Unbelievable.

Ladies Night Out

2011-04-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to an event that I couldn't decide if it was ok to enjoy or if I should be offended by it! About two weeks ago I received an invitation in the mail to a Ladies Night Out at the car dealership where I bought my car. A local spa did chair massages, there were hot paraffin manicures from some place, desserts from AlpenRose, coffee from Carpe Latte, and wine tasting from Hudsonville Winery. The sales guy valet parked the car and each lady received a pink bag as she entered and then a carnation on the way out.

Seriously, do they have a Men's Night Out? Isn't it rather sexist? Hey, let's have the little ladies in one night.

Yes, I was offended but I still had fun.

Thankful Thursday 04/21/11

2011-04-21T17:33:00.000-04:00

1. In the past few months at work I've had major issues with a certain process three separate times--once each in November, February, and March. Having worked with the software support line to find the issue those times made it possible for me to diagnose and solve the issue when the process bombed yesterday.
2. A positive work review yesterday.

3. The sun is shining today!!!

4. Two weeks from today I'l be on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thankful Thursday 4/14/11

2011-04-14T17:42:00.001-04:00

1. Taxes are in the mail--electronically filed but if I have to mail something well, that means I had to write a check.

2. Monday I remembered to do what I forgot to do the previous week that cost me two extra trips to GR.

3. The price of gas is not $4.00 or more.

4. Invitations for a bridal shower are in the mail.

5. DAFFODILS ARE BLOOMING IN WEST MICHIGAN!!!

Gift

2011-04-13T17:14:00.002-04:00

This was waiting outside the door at work when I left at lunch.

Hey, he just wanted a little sun too!

Thankful Thursday on Friday 04/08/11

2011-04-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday passed without my making this post which is good because I can add something now that I couldn't yesterday.

1. I'm thankful UConn didn't play in the women's national championship game on Tuesday night.

2. I'm thankful I have a group of friends to watch the game with.

3. Yesterday had a lot of sunshine at lunch and it was really nice!!! (Right, Jayne from Handbells?)

4. Earlier in the week I did a really stupid thing and forgot something really, really big. Last night when I realized it I made about a 40-mile round trip to try to fix it, but what I needed wasn't available. This morning I made a call and had to admit I did a stupid forgetful thing. Less than an hour ago I got an e-mail that the missing items were found, and I will make another 40-mile round trip later this afternoon to retrieve what I forgot. Good thing a gallon of gas is only $3.89 and not yet $4 with these extra trips I'm making. This is an expensive lesson both money and time-wise.

5. So far everything I'm doing at work to cover for others seems to be correct.

Funny Comment

2011-04-06T12:52:00.002-04:00

Today at work I was talking to a co-worker about some training I did for a process she and I will be covering for when others are on vacation. She said, "You won't have to do it all."

My reply was "I'm a single woman. I CAN do it all."

Her first reply was "lol" and then a few minutes later she came back this this:

"I am a married woman. I HAVE to do it all."

Mocha-n-Music

2011-04-02T13:09:00.000-04:00

I've written here and on Facebook about Mocha-n-Music, a local coffee shop built on the premise of having a place for local musicians to play and the public can enjoy a good cup of coffee. The owner, who plays bluegrass, has told me that he had the option of playing in bars which he didn't want to do, churches where all bluegrass music wasn't appropriate, or nursing homes. His option became to open a coffee shop where he and others could play bluegrass and opened it up to other music types. Several weeks ago I was here and listened to a classical guitarist while I graded papers. Anywhere else I would have had to pay $30-40 for his concert, but I paid only $3.50 for a chai latte.

Today the owner told me that three churches have birthed at the coffee shop. He won't open for business, but he shows the church leaders how to make gourmet coffee for the people. The church settles up with him someway for the coffee. He doesn't open for lattes, muffins, etc. One church grew from 14 people to almost 400 meeting only on Sunday nights. He had to kick them out when 200 were packing the shop. The second church folded when it no longer met at the coffee shop, and now a third meets every Sunday morning and is growing.

What a neat thing for a businessperson who doesn't want to open on Sunday but also doesn't necessarily want his building to sit idle one day a week.

Blockbuster

2011-04-01T17:20:00.000-04:00

This morning I found out that with Blockbuster's bankruptcy, they will honor their gift cards only through Wednesday, April 6.

Renae has a coupon for two movies, 2 Cokes, and a bag of popcorn. At lunch I took the coupon and her gift card with $16.92 to get movies and use up her gift card. The coupon is actually still valid after April 6 so I just had to use up her gift card. I got $15.96 of movies so had .94 left to spend. Of course, I couldn't leave that on the card.

I could get a Coke for $1.59 or get the Blockbust special of a Coke, a big box of candy, AND a bag of popcorn for only $3. As I paid for the special I told the two clerks, "Hmmm, I'm paying $2 to use up my friends gift card. It sounds like a scam to me." They laughed and laughed even harder when I said, "I think I'll keep her coupon."

Thankful Thursday 03/31/11

2011-03-31T17:49:00.000-04:00

1. Today is opening day for baseball. Go Braves!!!

2. Lots of sunshine this week.

3. One only the co-worker besides me knows, but it's going to be a nice week next week.

4. Travel itinerary for May is set; now to start watching for June.

Thankful Thursday 03/24/11

2011-03-24T17:05:00.001-04:00

Only one today--not because there is only one, but because in today's world this is so special it's worthy of standing alone.

1. Today my parents celebrate 54 years of marriage. While I've been told that every marriage is work, and I guess my parents are pretty typical, I see genuine love for each other between them. You can see that they look out for each other's good, and they look to serve God by serving others together.

Love you both, Mom and Dad.

OT

2011-03-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

That's Old Testament not overtime.

I've been reading the first few books of the Bible in preparation for my trip. I have a schedule to do the required reading twice before September.

There are two general themes I'm reminded of as I read even the boring and dry portions of the begats and the thou shalts:

1) There were so many details the Israelites had to follow--so many exact measurements, so many details in the sacrifices, so many things to do. I'm glad Jesus satisfied all of those when he went to the cross so that we don't have all of that, but I wonder if we can be too flippant about it. What if I had to do more to be ready for church. Would I value it more? Would my relationship with God be deeper?

2) God takes very seriously anything that takes away from Him. Anything that makes us question him or what he says is not valued as having an open mind; it was an offense worthy of stoning.

It Does Work

2011-03-18T07:23:00.000-04:00

All my life the dental hygienist has preached floss, floss, floss starting with Barbara at Dr. Wilson's office in Athens, AL.

One time I gagged on the gritty paste when she cleaned my teeth (the gritty paste is a reason why I don't like the dentist's office), and she wrote on my chart "Paste makes patient gag." Every teeth cleaning appointment until I transferred to a dentist in Illinois she or another hygienist said, "I see the paste makes you gag." But I digress.

I made token attempts the week before and a few days after a dental visit to floss, but the dentist's office in OH finally made it all click, and I began flossing. Now I won't say I get it done everyday but certainly most days of the week.

Since November I've flossed at least 6 days a week, and today I had the best dental appointment ever. Very little scraping (which is another reason why I don't like the dentist office), no cavities, and the 4's and 5's in the chart are all 2's and 3's except for one which apparently is still a 4.5.

If only I could tell Barbara the good news!

Thankful Thursday 3/17/11

2011-03-17T19:23:00.000-04:00

1. No cavities!!! No crowns needed!!! No dentist office until October 13!!! Actually the people in my dentists' office are really nice, and it's a very nice office with a Christian environment. However, I just don't like going to the dentist.

2. The tulips in Anderson, SC are blooming!!! Our hard work is paying off even more!!!

3. Plans for my trips south this spring/summer are coming together.

4. It was above 60 today with sun for much of the day!!!

Thankful Thursday 03/10/11

2011-03-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

1. Got Andrew's CD in the mail yesterday. It made me cry on the way to class. The only thing I don't like is that the tenor should be louder in the mix.

2. My mom sent this picture of a couple of the crocuses that I planted at their house last fall. Glad to know at least some of the 120 bulbs will come up!

3. Meeting a guy in a little bit to sell him the flourescent light fixtures I took out of my kitchen. Craigslist is a good thing.

4. Last week in class I told how a former assistant principal (now with the Lord in heaven) announced that he had given up voting years before. As a former social studies teacher I was appalled until he explained, "I've given up voting when I first wake up in the morning if I'm going to read my Bible and walk before I do anything else. It's not an option; I'm going to do those two things." Last night a student said every morning when the alarm went off last week she said to herself, "I'm not voting. I'm getting up and getting on the treadmill.

It is nice when something hits a student and they act on it.

Who Do I Hear?

2011-03-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer talking to someone than texting. I like that I can stay in touch with nieces and nephews with texting and they will reply (for the most part), but I love that twice this week I've talked on the phone with a niece. I love to hear her voice.

In one of my first year's of teaching during a study hall, a group of girls started talking instead of studying. I heard it and said, "Jennifer." Then I realized I said her name instead of "Girls" because I was with her family a lot, and I new her voice distinctly from the rest.

This morning I was reading John 12 and was thinking about the Shepherd's voice. The sheep know His voice and they follow it, but they don't follow other voices. I think about the many voices in today's world and which voices do I follow? A lot of voices say good things and stand for good things, but are they the Shepherd's voice? Sometimes my own voice gets mingled up with the others to justify what I think and I do.

Praying today that I know the Shepherd so well that all I hear is His voice.

Dad gave, I give, but Jesus gave the most

2011-03-04T20:21:00.000-05:00

Today on the way home from work I gave blood. Some of my earliest memories are of going to Athens High School with Dad for him to give blood. I thought it was pretty sweet because I got to get a cookie! (Yes, pun intended.) When I was in high school he reached his goal of giving a certain number of gallons.

I think because I saw him give blood, giving blood has been a natural and normal thing to do.

In 1995 I gave for the first time at a blood drive at PCS. One of the basketball players passed out on the cot beside me. The next year I gave despite having a cast on my foot and being on crutches. Another basketball player passed out beside me that year.

I've given through the Red Cross in IL and here in MI. In Chattanooga the blood service was always giving out t-shirts as incentives to give. Also, because Little Debbie is headquartered right outside the city, they donated the snacks for people to eat. In OH I went in spurts of making sure I gave every 8 weeks. Now I want to go to blood drives from the local center because that blood stays in this area.

I have O negative blood; I'm a universal donor. I've told my family if they need blood for an operation or medical need they can have mine. In fact they can as much as they need even if they take it all.

So whenever I give blood I think about my Dad.

And then I always lay down on the cot and think about the One who gave His blood for me.
Hebrews 9:22 without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Thankful Thursday 3/3/11

2011-03-03T17:16:00.001-05:00

1. A new class started last night. Should be a good group.

2. Enjoying roast beef at lunch this week. I buy several bundles of beef at a local Christian school auction in the fall. I end up with cuts of meat that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't just go out and buy. I also always have meat in the freezer.

3. For two months I've been thinking that maybe if I ignored my taxes they would just never have to be prepared and filed. The guy who did my taxes the last two years retired and I got a letter from the CPA firm who he was recommending to call. I've thought about Turbo Tax, I've thought about HR Block, and I've thought about just trying to do them on my own. At my appointment last year, he told me he was retiring, but his daughter was going to take over and he would be doing some returns in March and April when he got back from FL. However that was before "the letter". I called his office this week and his daughter will do my taxes with only a $10 increase in the fee which was very, very reasonable to begin with. I'm happy and I won't be going to jail!

4. Making plans for a trip south. I like it!

Winter or Spring?

2011-02-26T18:03:00.000-05:00

As I sit here looking out the window at the snow falling, I'm thinking about the crocuses and tulips my mother said are coming up at her house.

Early Thankful Thursday:
At least some of the 120 flower bulbs Renae and I planted at my parents house in November are now not just coming up but blooming!!!

Thankful Thursday 02/24/11

2011-02-24T17:08:00.000-05:00

It's been a couple of weeks, but I'm back. . .

1. Four wheel drive to get to work on Monday! Without my new vehicle I would have had to take 2 days off this winter as vacation or unpaid as I would not have made it to work in the Fit.
2. Work is good right now.
3. I got two things crossed off my list at home last night. I'm not always very good about getting stuff done in the evenings when I'm tired, but last night was productive.
4. Two February birthdays, and I got both cards off for them to arrive in time if the Post Office does it's job well.

Interview

2011-02-22T12:38:00.002-05:00

Today I interview Billy Graham.

Maybe I should say a Billy Graham.

Home Invasion

2011-02-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

My home has been invaded by balloons--big, big balloons.

Why? My friend is having a party this weekend. On Saturday we stopped at a furniture store that was having a special sale. She saw all these huge (2 1/2 feet diameter?) balloons and asked what they were going to do with them. The clerk said they just pop them so Renae offered to buy them. The clerk said she could come the next day to get them. We showed up in two vehicles to get them just before the store closed and the sale ended. 7 in her car and 10 in mine!!! Now hopefully they will stay nice enough for Saturday. Meanwhile it's a bit scary when I walk by my back room as they completely cover the ceiling!

Financially (Ir)-responsibility

2011-02-15T17:22:00.001-05:00

First, this morning on the news as I was slowly trying to wake up the local channel reported that last year Pres. Obama asked for $300 million for cleanup of the Great Lakes. Congress returned with $475 million for the initiative but only about $225 million has been funded. For 2012 Obama is requesting $350 million and calling it a spending cut because it is less than $475 million.

I don't get it. If only $225 million has been spent than only budgeting less than that can be a "spending cut".

Second, if spending has increased exponentially for two years and now we freeze spending at that level, how does that help us?

If I make $1000/month but increase my spending to $2000 a month and then say I'll freeze my spending at that level, I'm not helping myself.

Am I oversimplifying this?

Miscellaneous of the past week

2011-02-14T17:22:00.000-05:00

1. This morning I turned on a tv that was tuned to HGTV from yesterday afternoon. Cash in the Attic, a show I've never seen before, was showing. An couple in the late 50 or early 60s with a daughter in her early 20s (I'm guessing on all the ages) wanted to raise $3000 for a hot tub. The show came in and went through their stuff to see if they could probably get the money at auction. It's probably my personality, but I was surprised to see people visibly upset about selling something that had meaning to them for a HOT TUB!!!

It certainly seemed ridiculous to me to sacrifice what you value for something so temporal. Their house was average to nice which means they had to have had some money so I thought, "Save the money for a few months and then just buy a hot tub."

Then at the end of the show the family is circled around the hot tub. The mother puts her hands in the water and says, "It has jets." That explained it all why they did the show!

2. Friday night a man down the street rang my doorbell. A friend had parked in the elderly lady next door's driveway which is shared with mine. My friend got to my house before I did and she wanted to leave the way open for me to go in the garage. I should have had her move her vehicle or called my neighbor to explain but I did neither. My neighbor tried calling me to ask about the car in her driveway as she was afraid to go to bed, but my phone was on vibrate in another room so I never heard it. Totally agreed that a car in the driveway would be unnerving no matter how old you are when you are ready to go to bed. She called the neighbor man who came and asked me about it. I called the neighbor and explained everything.

Obviously I felt bad about the situation so yesterday I made oatmeal cookies to give to both neighbors. When I stopped at the man's house, I was talking with his wife. He walked in the room and she explained that I had brought cookies for his inconvenience coming over last Friday night.

His reply: "Hey, I can come over tonight too if it means more cookies!"

3. One of my responsibilities since last summer is ordering supplies for about 50 people. I decided there was too much junk in the drawers that needed to be cleaned out. Not knowing for sure what people do use I put anything I thought we no longer needed on a counter and gave people an opportunity to let me know if they still used any of the stuff.

I sent out an e-mail that began with, "If you need labels for your 3.5" floppy disks we have about 150 of them from the supply drawers." Now, in any other area I'm sure people would have responded with the joke of floppy disks since no one has used those in how many years??? But I work in finance and not only did no one comment about my joke, at least one person took me seriously!

Concert

2011-02-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

Last night I spent a free evening with Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. By the time Renae saw the concert advertised and was interested in going, it was sold out. We went hoping someone may turn back tickets or there would be no shows. About 10 minutes before the show started a ticket lady saw us waiting and gave us two tickets front row center balcony--basically some of the best seats!

The concert was good--lots of 80s music so I recognized most of the songs.

60 years at Olive Garden

2011-02-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

A friend posted on Facebook a picture of her in-laws with the caption "Celebrating 60 years at Olive Garden".

Someone commented: ‎60 Years at Olive Garden! That's pretty slow service!

Thankful Thursday 02/03/11

2011-02-03T17:00:00.002-05:00

1. It was great to have 4-wheel drive yesterday to get to work!!! However, gas mileage goes way down when the vehicle goes into 4wd.

2. The other day I cleaned off my co-workers cars when I left work when they had a couple of inches of snow on them. When I got home someone had shoveled right in front of my porch which isn’t done as part of the snow removal in my condo fee. Mine was the only one done and I still have no idea who did it.

3. Yesterday morning the parking lot I use was just finished being plowed when I pulled in. How awful if I’d gotten out to get to work only to find the parking lot wasn’t plowed.

4. This morning I woke up to a phone call from my sister in the Philippines. That was nice.

5. Today is my Friday at work. Tomorrow I have a community service day to do volunteer work.

Kitchen Project

2011-01-30T20:01:00.001-05:00

OK, here are the pictures of my home project. Soon after Christmas I had to replace a flourescent light bulb in the kitchen. When I pushed back the light tile I saw that the framework "up there" was finished off. I started thinking about how I could make a tray ceiling out of it and hopefully make my galley kitchen seem a bit bigger if at least part of the ceiling was higher.

Here is what it looked like to begin with:

This is with most of the drop ceiling removed. I still had the framework around the base to take out. Because the drywall wasn't originally exposed, the builders didn't tape and mud very well. I spent several evenings spackling and sanding to make the middle seam appear smooth. It was also difficult to pop the covers off the lights.

In the middle of the project. I needed to put the plastic higher, but I did clean off all the cabinets with Murphy's oil soap afterwards. Area is sanded and primed here.

New lights. The ceiling appears blue but it's white.

And the finished product:

While I did a lot of the work myself, everyone knows not much gets done without Renae. She helped with the crown moulding and hanging the lights.

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-01-29T06:07:00.001-05:00

Today is my father's birthday. Last year we all got together for a milestone birthday for him.

My dad loves God, loves his wife, and loves his family. He and my mother are generous. On their 50th anniversary my mom said that submitting to him wasn't difficult through the years because she knew he was always putting his family's best before himself.

Thanks Dad, and happy birthday!

Thankful Thursday 01/27/11

2011-01-27T17:06:00.000-05:00

1. I have lights again in my kitchen which means I also have a microwave, and lights in my dining area, and a light in my living room, and lights in the sunroom!!! (Pictures to follow when the project is complete, but I still have painting touchup and cleanup.)
2. I have a great friend who knows enough about a lot of stuff to be able to do almost anything. Without Renae I wouldn't have put up crown moulding and would have figured out the lighting, but it's easier with her.
3. My niece made the dean's list first semester freshman year despite a rigorous course load and several periods of illness including mono.
4. Every year I've written for the employee newspaper. It was really nice to get some positive feedback from the editor for two of the pieces I've written for this year.
5. Pandora Radio--one day I listened to several hours of Keith and Kristyn Gett Radio to hear a variety of praise and worship music. How about this for back to back to back to back songs to lift you up?
How Deep the Father Love for Us
Here With Us
It Is Well With My Soul
My Jesus I Love Thee.

The next day I listened to traditional country hymns to get a little twang and a touch of the old brown book. And only a few know what I mean by that!

Service Points

2011-01-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night is the regularly bi-monthly night for my church to hold the service at a rescue mission in GR. About half the time I go to play the piano and was scheduled to go; it's been on my calendar for awhile. I even made plans for tonight instead of tomorrow night because of going.

Today the minister called to say that the men who usually lead the singing cannot go and the guy who would be going to lead music would have his wife along and she could play the piano. I was being released from going.

I really won't mind a free evening, but somehow I feel cheated out of ministry points. I do get some for being willing to go, don't I?

Pithy Saying That's True

2011-01-23T17:52:00.002-05:00

Most often falling into sin is not a blow out but a slow leak.

Thankful Thursday 01/20/11

2011-01-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

1. I'm making a little progress every night on my home improvement project. Today I got crown moulding and paint.
2. Mary and Jaimie had "traveling mercies".
3. This week the Wii Fit has my age as 34-38!

Parenthood

2011-01-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

Last night while finishing some work and getting ready for bed I had the tv show Parenthood on in the background. I don't watch this show but have found some of the previews funny.

I was surprised to see two parents showing some real backbone with their daughter. Apparently she is 16 dating a 19-year old recovering alcholic, food bank worker of a different race. The parents have forbidden her to see him because of his age and background. She of course doesn't let him know that so he shows up one day to go out. There is a an exchange and the father tells him to leave.

Give the guy a lot of credit: he gets mad at the girl for lying to him when he's trying to be honest to others and himself. He even visits the father at work to let the father know he didn't knowingly violate the parents wishes.

The father told the boy something like this: Haddie is 16 and you are 19. She has the rest of her life to deal with adult issues, but right now we just want her to be a 16-year old as long as she can.

Wow, that showed a lot of love for the child and not hate for the boy.

I don't know how the show ended as I was asleep, but as a non-parent I found it refreshing to see parents set guidelines for their child and then follow through when those lines are crossed.

Heat Wave

2011-01-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

This afternoon the temp was a balmy 27 degrees. It was warm enough to not wear a coat while shopping to avoid having to mess with it in the mall or a store.

Thankful Thursday 1/13/11

2011-01-13T06:30:00.002-05:00

1. My family in the snow made it through the ice and snow storms.
2. Mary and Jaimie were stranded at home and not in an airport in an unknown city.
3. A friend has passed one part of a three part test.
4. Bing cherries in the grocery store at a really good price two weeks in a row.
5. Had a work bad dream (not quite a nightmare but close) last night. In the dream I kept thinking, "I wish I could wake up and this is just a dream." I'm thankful I woke up and it was just a dream!

2011-01-09T14:20:00.002-05:00

At church today I was talking with a couple who are probably 10 years younger than my parents discussing their recent move. The lady asked if they bought a house. When I replied yes she was so excited. "I'm so glad to hear about people like that. People like that live to be 100!"

Thankful Thursday 1/6/11

2011-01-06T21:47:00.001-05:00

1. 4-wheel drive when it's snowing!!!
2. Getting caught up at work from a week shutdown went surprisingly smoothly.
3. Looking back at Christmas pictures and reliving great memories.
4. No plans any evening this week!!! So this is what a life with margin is all about.
5. Got hiking boots for the trip in September. Keen's on clearance so a good price.