A Road Trip to South Carolina

A friend pointed out to me today that I've fallen significantly behind in my blogging. (I agree.) So, let me catch you up a bit...

I just got back from vacation. I went to South Carolina with some friends. We took two days to drive out, and the drive was absolutely lovely. It would have been nice to have a bit more time, but as it was we still had time to "stop and smell the roses" so to say. The trees in Alabama hadn't changed colors too much, but the trees/forests in Tennessee and North Carolina were really astounding.

We drove on the Natchez Trace Parkway from Tupelo, Mississippi to Florence, Alabama...


This is a trail we hiked on the Natchez Trace Parkway...




Gorgeous! The Appalachian Mountains!


More scenic highways...


The funniest stories relate to trying to escape all of the National Forests we drove through. We finally passed a sign that said "Welcome to South Carolina." After driving and driving and driving, we hit another sign that said, "Now entering North Carolina"!! The scary part was that we were running low on gas, it was very dark and there didn't seem to be any gas stations anywhere in the forest. Fortunately we found one before we started sputtering. And, we also finally escaped North Carolina. :)

Columbia and Charleston were both a lot of fun. I got to visit my friend, Kate, in Columbia and hang with her. Then we joined up with some other friends in Charleston and did a lot of eating a sightseeing. We went on a not-so-scary ghost tour and also toured the U.S.S. Yorktown, an air craft carrier. Our hotel was lovely, and we were able to hang out there one night around a nice fire pit and just hang out.

We made the drive back in one LONG day. Fortunately we gained two hours (one from the time zone and one from the change from daylight savings)... we slept one and drove one. We left SC around 4am and arrived back in Tulsa about 9pm... only stopping long enough to eat and use the restroom.

But, I'm home... safe and sound! A good time was had by all!

The lies we tell...

A personally-entertaining quote from my current read ("The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde)

[After the main character reveals (lies) to her mother that she has a new boyfriend...]

"This, to my mother, was extremely good news. It had been of considerable anguish to her that I wasn't spending more time with swollen ankles, hemorrhoids and a bad back, popping out grandchildren and naming them after obscure relatives... In all honesty I wasn't against the idea of kids, it was just that I wasn't going to have them on my own."

Touché! :)

Insanity

Well, they say the definition of insanity is trying the same activity over and over but expecting different results. I guess I qualify. I apparently have some messages on facebook but can't seem to log in. So... I guess I should just give up and go to bed, but it's really bugging me and I just keep trying.

Btw, David... noticed you're on FB. I'd add you as a friend... if I could. :) Maybe tomorrow!

Quick updates... life is getting really interesting. I'm spending time with some new people, who keep me well-entertained. I'm going camping this weekend w/ the fam. Should be fun. I'm running again. I'm back up to two miles at a time but am working toward three. Hopefully I'll be there again soon (in the next week or two). Monica, my new roomie, has moved in. It's only been a few days, but so far so good! I can't think of anything else, though I feel there's something on the tip of my fingers...

... oh well... I have an early morning meeting and should be in bed. G'night, y'all.

The Pre-Celebration

It's not quite my b-day, but that didn't stop our small group from celebrating anyway...

Mini Mart

I passed a building today that said "Minute Mart," and it reminded me of the little "mini mart" that used to be at the end of the road from the house where I spent some of the most formative years of my life. I was thinking of that mini mart and thinking of the man who I believe worked there filling gas tanks. His name may have been Dewayne. And then "Dewayne" always reminds me of the punchline of an old knock knock joke... "Hurry up! D'wayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning."

Roomies...

Opossum

I wrote this poem after another dead animal was found in Matt's yard. It seems he sent (as always) a picture of it along. I'll have to see if I can find that. :) I should also note that the poem was inspired by a few lines from Matt's email, which effectively are the last few lines of the poem.

Opossum (an original poem)

This one died near the hyacinth bush,
Under the colorful crepe myrtle, which has yet to bloom.
I can’t be sure what caused his demise…
Maybe a cardial-infarction?
An advanced case of tail cancer?
Or a broken heart?
Who’s to say?
It was surely a sweet, though possibly short, life.
Let’s hope he hasn’t left behind a family…
Two baby opossums and a loving mate,
Who wonder why he hasn’t returned with dinner.
He met an unfortunate end here in my yard,
Under the crepe myrtle, near the hyacinth bush.
But, I laid him to rest.
Under the stars.
In a dirt hole.
Next to the bird.
And the other bird.
And the rat.
And the squirrel.

2:07

It's 2:07AM, and all I can say is I'm tired. Tired physically (wanting to sleep) but mostly tired of itching from this darned poison ivy. I've just been laying in bed these past 2-3 hours scratching my arms, legs and anywhere else that happens to itch at the moment. Grrrrrr.

The doctor prescribed me some steroid pills on Monday, but I was hoping by now the itching would have subsided. No luck.

So, since I'm up, I thought I might as well blog. I'm sure there's something I could blog about that you might find interesting, but I'm not quite sure what that would be. Maybe a poem? Maybe a funny story? Maybe just some unintelligible rant?

Life's not too bad right now (save the itching). I'm enjoying some new friendships, planning some trips, doing some new things... trying not to answer all the unknown questions of my life just now. I figure they'll be answered at some point, so I might as well sit back and just enjoy the ride. :) I guess that's all I have to say right now. Say a prayer for me as I return to bed and try to actually sleep!

Good night/morning!

The Midnight Drags

Sorry for the paucity of email lately. Maybe I've been busy. Or, maybe I just haven't had anything to say. Or, maybe there's been so much to say that I haven't even known where to begin. :) Regardless. Here I am, typing away, doing my best to satisfy the masses...

So, the most immediate thing on my mind is the insane "itchiness" being caused by my most recent run-in with poison ivy. Grrrrr. It's driving me insane. I'm trying to avoid another steroid shot, but I may have to give in and get one tomorrow.

Last night was quite fun. I ran out to Fort Gibson with a friend who has a Jeep. We took the top off, and I got to experience the wind in my hair and the feeling that I could easily fall out onto the highway. It was exhilerating! We didn't have much time there, but caught an amazing sunset and the full moon, which we enjoyed on the drive back.

Then, we met up with a couple of other friends and headed out to the midnight drag races! What a crazy place! Quite an interesting crowd... from the guy with the shirt on that said "I'm a Keeper." to the girl hanging all over the guy right in front of our car as we waited to get in the gates. I think I needed to show a little more clevage to really be "appropriately dressed" for the drag races. (Maybe next time...) There were some pretty crazy cars out there, but I think my favorite was a kind of pale green Chevelle. (Dad... you would've loved it! David, you too! Next time you're in Tulsa, we'll have to go out!)

I'd write more, but I'm about to scratch myself to death. I need some relief!!

Love it!!!

Check out my favoritist new commercial...

In Cold Blood

Well, I've finally set to reading an American classic, "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. It's been on my list of books to read for some time (though I reviewed my list of "books to read before I die" just yesterday and couldn't find it on there). I think my particular interest in the book is the fact that it tells the true story about a cold-blooded murder of an upstanding family in a small Kansas town in late 1959. I seem to remember from my college days that the murderers stopped in Emporia, KS to buy some supplies. Very creepy. Indeed, the book is relatively creepy. I've determined that I can't read it too closely to when I go to bed. And, I also think it's reviving some of the sleeping difficulties I noted right after our break-in last fall. However, I'm curious enough to know what happens to push on through. I like this particular quote, as it reminds me of those nervous nights last fall...

"Imagination, of course, can open any door - turn the key and let terror walk right in."

Lessons I Learned from my Deck

My Memorial Day weekend project was to rebuild the deck on the back of my house. When I say "my" project, I really mean my Dad's project. :) Since my Dad's a home builder, he's definitely the expert, but other family members (me and my sister, primarily) aided him as best we could. We didn't get finished, but there was some definite progress made.

There were two concrete steps off the back of my house that provided a considerable amount of work to remove. We rented a jack hammer for a couple of hours and (again, my Dad) chipped away at the steps. I used the jack hammer briefly, but that was mainly "for the experience" (according to my Dad) and "for a good photo opp" (according to me). But, as I was sitting back watching my Dad hammer away, I was saddened just a bit. The deck was pretty much unusable as it was, but even so, those steps have been my friends for the past three years that I've owned my house. I was reminded of the times I sat on that back stoop talking on the phone or just contemplating life. So, though I was excited about the new deck, it was a bit difficult to leave behind those stoops.

It made me think about life a bit... how it's comfortable to hold on to the past, even when I know it keeps me from moving forward. But, sometimes you have to remove the old before the new can take hold.

"God, let me be a person who bravely lets go of those things that keep me from experiencing the newness of your grace and mercy."

The Miseducation of Krista

Isn't it funny the things God uses to teach us? If you've read my post from April 29th, I've been working on not worrying as much. I've had several situations this past month or so that could have caused me a lot of stress and anxiety, but I've chosen not to get worried or stressed out about them.

One of those is one of the teams I sort of lead at church. It's called "The Crew." Late last month, right after preparing our May schedule, I had three people call and tell me that they were going to be able to help with it any more. Three may not sound like many, but we were already running a fairly tight ship with only about 10 helpers. So, three people, each serving twice a month had a pretty significant impact on the team. That's something I usually would have been really worried about... until I had a chance to find enough helpers and rebuild a schedule for May. However, I decided to trust God to take care of it. And, I knew that (no matter how few helpers we had) week-to-week things would still get done somehow... whether I worried about it or not. So, last week I was telling someone about the three new helpers we've had in May... one new person each week, and it dawned on me that I DID NOT HAVE TO TRACK ANY OF THEM DOWN! I really thought to rebuild the team, I'd have to spend some time on the phone begging for help. But, instead, each of these people either contact me out of the blue or just happened to mention to me that they were looking for additional ways to help out around the church!

What an incredible blessing! All it took was letting go of it and leaving it in God's hands! You thought I would have learned that by now!

"Thank you, Papa!"

Don't get on my "bed" side!

I drove home tonight after work and lifted my garage door like I always do. Instead of finding the empty garage, I found my bed... perfectly assembled and made up. Hrmmm... that's unusual. I normally sleep in my bedroom. (head scratch) It didn't take me long to realize that my roommate is a traitor and assisted my "friend," Chris, in moving my bed out to the garage. He was in the office this afternoon. When he mentioned that he was going to stop by Blockbuster to rent a movie I owned, I naturally told him I would loan him my copy. (Big mistake.) Truth be told, had my roommate not been home, I probably would have had a temporary lapse of judgement and given him my key. Fortunately she WAS home, so the disruption was limited to the bed.

The whole reason that happened is because several weeks ago I had help moving his scooter into a 20' box truck. That would have merely been funny had not his scooter been stolen before in the past. (I had that piece of information but, personally, still thought it was funny.)

Of course, that was egged on by him hiding my keys in my kitchen cabinets the last time he was over for small group.

And that was retribution for something I can't even remember, though I'm sure whatever that was was retaliation for when he took all of my light bulbs from out of my light fixtures and hid them around my house (everywhere from my sugar canister to my underwear drawer).

I'm sure there are more stories to tell, but... you get the idea. :)

Mango-induced rash

A bit of explanation on the last post... I've had a bit of a problem with mango salsa since last summer, though I assumed it was related to the jalapeno or cilantro. Well, after a bit of extensive research this weekend, I think I've linked it back to the mango. That's incredibly disappointing, but I love mango!

But, after eating a whole mango Sunday night, I've developed a poison ivy type rash. I did a bit of research on-line and discovered others with similar experiences...

I loved you once...

What a sweet affair... once or twice a year, you and I would share some heavenly moments. I can hardly believe it's over. It's been only 24-hours since you last touched my lips, but I think I shall never forget you. I loved you once, but it's not meant to be. I'm sure I'll see you around, at dinner parties and in the homes of friends. I'll catch a glimpse of you from across the room and remember all that has passed between us. A tear will invade my eye, and I'll be forced to look away. But, I must leave you forever. My health depends on it. Thank you, mango salsa, for the good times. I shall never forget you.

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Take this quiz, and let me know how you fare...

Things to say...

Wow... I've been working for my church for a year now. It doesn't seem like that could be possible. "Happy Anniversary, Me!"

I bought a pair of pants this week in a size smaller than I ever remember wearing!! I'm sure I passed quickly through the size once pre-puberty, but that memory has long escaped my awareness. Regardless, it feels fairly exhilarating. :)

I've been reading "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. Great book! I'll have to share more thoughts/quotes from the book at a later time.

I took advantage of Tulsa's public transportation for the first time last Saturday. There's a Tulsa Transit bus stop two blocks from my house. Who knew?! It was an enlightening experience. I've only really used public transportation in populated US cities and foreign countries, so it brought a more urban-feel right to my doorstep (or at least as close as two blocks away). I encourage you all to check it out!

I don't know what else to tell you, other than... I'm going to bed here shortly. So, goodnight, friends!

Funny...

... I ran across this quote by Groucho Marx tonight...

"It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy."

My Confession

Well, I've been blog lagging... "blagging." It's not that I haven't thought about blogging. I just haven't gotten it done. I would say things have been busy, but I don't know that that's true. So, I guess I just haven't taken the time to do it.

The Holy Spirit has been revealing some sin in my life. It's the sin that rips away at joy and peace... worry and fear. I've never really identified those as sins before, but so many of the scriptures related to the topic say, "Do not worry" (Mt 6) and "Do not be anxious" (Phil 4:6), etc. They don't read that much differently from the Ten Commandments... "You shall not..." But, I've never read them that way. I always read them more like, "when you're worried...." But, it's obviously something I struggle with, because all of my favorite verses in the Bible deal with that topic.

But, why is that such a big deal? Well, I would never consciously say (or really even think), "God, I don't trust you," or "God, I don't believe you're in control here," or "God, I don't think you have my best in mind." However, that has to be the ultimate root of my worry/anxiety.

So, I'm laying it to rest. I'm not saying I'll never be anxious or worry again. (I wish that were the case, yet I know myself better than that.) But, now that I I've identified it for what it really is... the willful act of doubting God... I think I won't hold on to it as long. But, for good measure, I ought to ask for your help. When you see me getting stressed and worried about something, gently remind me who is in control. :) I really do trust God, so I might as well act like I believe that!

So, peace and joy to each of you. Good night!

Jump the Shark

"Jump the shark" is my new favorite phrase, so I'm going to attempt to make it popular among my friends and family. Check out the definition in the Urban Dictionary.

So, my blog may have just "jumped the shark." But... I hope not. Because how else will I help get that phrase into wider circulation? :)

Hope everyone's doing well. I have more to say, but I'll save it for another day.

G'night!

Just some of the girls!!

Someone will have to send me some pics of Avery. (I had to lift these from John's blog!)

I feel the need - the need for Krista!

Enjoy!

Signs of a Long & Painful Summer...

I mowed the lawn for the first time (in 2007) this afternoon. It's been needing it for a week or two, but I just couldn't bear the thought of beginning my summer mowing in March. :( I clearly remembered hating it from the past two summers, but today I was reminded just how much I hate it. Ugh. I feel like my lungs are still filled with dust... and that's on top of having some kind of sinus infection that hit me over the weekend.

But, before this sounds too depressing, I'd like to note that it may just be a wonderful summer after all. I won't go into details, but I've realized some personal victories as of late. So, it will be interesting to see how the summer plays out.

Quick update... I went up to KC this weekend to help David & Sarah move. (The only thing I accomplished toward that goal was to paint about half of Erin's bedroom.) I went to an Easter egg hunt w/ John, Michelle, Natalie and Erin Saturday morning at the Speedway. But, I got back to Mom & Dad's and crashed for the afternoon. Then, I went out with a college friend (and a couple of his friends) for dinner. Then, strangely enough, we all took a driving tour of my hometown, Tonganoxie, and some other outlying areas.

All-in-all it was a good weekend. I wish I had felt better. I pretty much stayed around Mom & Dad's on Sunday and just watched non-stop movies all day. But, now it's time to get back to the daily grind here in Tulsa!

On Friendship...

"Give me one friend, just one, who meets the needs of all my varying moods."

(Esther M. Clark)

Another Run-in with "The Law"

If you read Sarah's comment in the previous post, she referred to an "infamous" run-in with the cops in Emporia, KS. It's a fine story, so I thought I'd share it!

It was about 3:30 AM. A couple of girls from my high school had come for a campus visit to Emporia State University, so I was doing a bit of entertaining. We had been out bowling and then over to an all-night diner to have milkshakes or something. I was headed back to campus via Commercial, which is the main street that runs through downtown Emporia. A cop (who was bored no doubt) clocked me going 36 mph in a 20 mph zone. I remember him saying, "16 over... that's kind of hefty." I responded by saying something like, "well... it's 3:30 in the morning... it's not like I'm gonna HIT anything." (I know... I would've sent me straight to jail, too, after a snide comment like that!) The officer proceded to ask if I had been drinking. I replied, "no." (I conveniently left out the chocolate milk shake.) He told me to slow down but didn't write me a ticket. :)

The funnier addendum to the story is that a friend of mine was driving behind me and saw me get pulled over. He was going to circle to block so he could drive by and laugh at me. Instead, another bored cop pulled him over for having a headlight out! He wasn't as fortunate, though. HE GOT A TICKET!! Ha, ha, ha!!! KRISTA WILL NOT BE MOCKED!! ;)

I have some other good stories about being pulled over... one in which I had to actually say my "ABC's." (No, Mom... I hadn't been drinking.) But, I'll save those for another day/blog.

Thank you, Occifer!

Well... I got pulled over tonight. After church, a bunch of us went over to Mazzio's. I hate the entrance/exit to this specific Mazzio's, as it always confuses me. There are some strange lights and a median there at the entrance. Plus, it appears more like two entrances than an entrance and exit. As I was leaving, I exited through one of the entrances and drove south briefly on the northbound lane past the median and then into the proper lane. It was about 10 pm, so my thought was... this probably isn't the right way to get out of here, but it's late and there's no one around..... EXCEPT for the police officer in the northbound lane. I obviously didn't notice him until I was half-way through my little maneuver. :(

He flipped around and turned on his lights. He was shortly thereafter joined by another policeman. He asked for my license and insurance. FORTUNATELY he didn't ask for my registration, because I had very randomly pulled it out of my car yesterday and hadn't returned it to the glove box!!

When he came back he said, "so, I suppose you know why I pulled you over?" I nodded and commented that "I'm always confused as to how to exit that parking lot." He then shared with me how HE exits it. I also explained my reasoning about it being late and no one being out there... except for him, of course. So, he told me to drive carefully and let me go. Phew! I didn't even have to playing the crying of flipping-the-hair card. ;)

Beware of the Ides of March!

Happy Ides, people!

One month until tax day. Have you done YOUR taxes? Yeah... me neither.

Significant Relationships

I read this quote recently in a coffee house/book shop...

"Significant relationships are meant for those who place enough importance on them to nurture them." (Unfortunately, I can't remember or find who originally said/wrote it.)

Nurture your significant relationships. And if you don't have any significant relationships... create some and then nurture them. :)

The Little Red Hen

Do you remember the story of the little red hen? For some reason it has come to mind a lot lately. In fact, I was thinking of it again this morning (hence the blog). It has some obvious "lessons" to it. Some of those are helpful...

"If you're not going to help, don't expect a handout."

"You must be willing to risk something in order to reap a reward."

Some are a bit more harsh...

"Don't expect anyone to help you in your labors. You can, however, expect them to show up and take advantage of your hard work in the end."

I'm not sure which lesson is for me. Maybe my lesson is that it's easy to get bitter and selfish in life... especially when we feel like we're on our own. But, then again, what good is life if we can't share what we have with others?

I guess I'll have to think on that a bit more. I'd love to hear your suggestions and interpretations, too.

In the meantime, I'm off to work! Have a great day y'all!

God's Sovereignty

Have you ever been to one of those points in life where you weren't sure what was supposed to come next? Like life had taken some funny detour and nothing looked familiar any more? I may be in such a place. It seems like some of the things that neatly defined my life in the past are slipping away, and I can't quite make out the new definition.

One time in college I was in a similar position. I was within a year of graduation, and had some significant friendships in my life. I was caught somewhere between moving forward and wanting to hang on. That's when a friend made a simple comment that put things into perspective...

"I believe in the sovereignty of God."

Sometimes I hate hearing that. I mean, if God is in control, that implies that I am NOT in control. And, I kind of like being in control (or at least THINKING I am). I'm not sure how that all applies to the spot in life I currently find myself, except to say that I know God is in control. If I keep my eyes on Him, nothing will come my way that I can't handle. And THAT is reassuring.

You might say a prayer for me as I'm sifting through these thoughts.

Encouragement

I got a nice boost of encouragement yesterday (well... Monday, by now). It's really cool to see God working in and around The Gathering!

There's nothing sweeter than seeing and helping people take steps closer to Him!

Live Your Own Truth

I caught the tail end of Oprah a couple of nights ago. The show was basically focused on married women who were attracted to other women, and the overall message was that you'll be happier in life if you admit your true feelings and live those out. She ended the show by saying, "live your own truth."

Isn't the theory that "we all have our own truth" self-defeating?

I mean... what is truth if it can be different for each one of us?

If your "truth" is hidden inside of you, how can someone else tell you for sure that it's there?

More importantly... if the "truth" is inside of you, why are you still looking for it?

If truth is relative, what is to keep it from changing from day to day? Today's truth may just be tomorrow's lie!

I don't know about you, but that kind of "truth" is worthless to me. I want the REAL Truth... the one that is constant... unchanging... unfaltering... solid. I have found such a truth, and his name is Jesus Christ!! He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). He is the way, the TRUTH and the life (Jn 14:6)!

So, if you're on a search for THE TRUTH, you have two options... you can look inside yourself (according to some, it could be tucked neatly right there beneath your own nose), or you can recognize that THE TRUTH is bigger than yourself. You didn't create it. You CAN'T create it! IT CREATED YOU!

Rev Up Those Bagpipes and Get the Music Started!

Well... my neighbor is practicing his bagpipes today... no doubt gearing up for the upcoming "bagpipe season"... otherwise known as "St. Patrick's Day."

I may have mentioned the neighbor's annual St. Patrick's Day party. It's a neighborhood affair. One neighbor stands outside and plays his bagpipes, while the rest of us chow down on cookies and play "dirty Santa"-type St. Patrick games. I told you about the new shirt I bought for the party in a previous post. I just realized that, unfortunately, I have a choir concert the same night as the party. :( However, I'll probably go over a big early and hang out until I have to leave.

Ah, it's a festive time in the neighborhood!

Communication... or lack thereof

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."

~ George Bernard Shaw

Wow! How true!! I think guys are particularly bad at assuming they have communicated something when in reality nothing has been shared. I'm not a mind reader, so please... just say what you want to say.

Kiss Me... I AM Irish!!

Mom informed me that I AM part Irish. So... you know what that means!!

In the Stillness...

It's very quiet here... except for the wind howling outside. I took a Tylenol PM last night because I was having trouble sleeping, and it did the trick. It knocked me out until pretty late this morning.

It's been a fairly relaxing day, and I've gotten a few things done... though mostly I've just enjoyed bumming around. Forrest Gump was on TV tonight. For some reason that movie always strikes a tender chord in my soul. Last night I went to see the movie "Babel." I don't really recommend it, though it lived up to its name in terms of the confusion it caused. :)

Well, it's still quiet. I think I'm going to do some reading. I'm going to blog about one of the books I'm currently reading... after I've finished it. It describes well what it's like to be a Christian single adult (esp. over the age of 30) in today's culture. After I'm done with it, I'd be happy to tell you more about it.

I hope your day/night has been fun and delightful.

Krista

A New Tee

I know... it's sad when the topic of one's blog is her newest T-shirt, but I just have to tell you about it. I love it. I really do. I bought it for St. Patty's Day, which is right around the corner. I wouldn't normally think of buying clothing for that "holiday"; however, my neighbor throws an awesome party every year. So this year I want to be prepared (... especially since my St. Patrick's bracelet that I received at the party two years back was stolen from my home).

The Place: Old Navy
The Price: $15 (I probably wouldn't have bought it at that price, but I had in my head it was $8 until I at the register ready to pay... and already in love with it.)
The Color: "Greenport"... a basic primary green (which I learned is a surprisingly nice color for me!)
The further description (from Old Navy's website)...

Irish eyes are sure to smile when you wear this flirty tee. Made of soft cotton, it features a rib-knit crew neck, cute cap sleeves and a special nod to St. Patty's Day.
Greenport: shamrock graphic composed of hearts, stars, and flowers

Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of mine, but here's one of a similar vein, except Basil green and different graphic... (I might have bought this one, only I'm not Irish.)

Speaking of Nanners...

(Re: the comment on the previous post...) No banana pancakes this past weekend, but TWO weekends ago, I made a go at making my own. They turned out very well, actually. They were not only beautiful but also tasted divine. :) I also made a sort of blackberry syrup for them. Mmmmmmm... brings back memories of sunny days in La Jolla.

And since we're speaking of breakfasts... I had breakfast in bed one day last week. Now, I know some of you would consider that to be a scandalous and shocking announcement, but never fear. I got up on Valentine's morning, made myself a nice breakfast... bacon, eggs and grapefruit... and took it back to bed to eat. It was absolutely delightful. The only thing that could have made it better (besides having it served by a loving husband) would have been to have it served on one of those little "breakfast-in-bed" trays. Maybe I need to get one of those...

Amendment to Previous Comments

When I said the weekend was "dull," I may have unwittingly implied there were no redeeming qualities to the weekend (other than the cleaning). I did, however, have a delightful brunch with two friends on Saturday. We had French toast, oatmeal, bacon, sparkling grapejuice and coffee. (I would hate to not be invited back after slighting it in a blog comment.)

Big Changes

I received a fortune cookie awhile back that said, "Big changes are in store for you." :) In some ways I feel a season of change coming on. I don't even know what that means, and last time I predicted some big change, it never presented itself. But, I think I'm committed to change this time. So... one way or another...

This weekend was pretty dull, though I got an exceptional amount of cleaning done... most notably on my bedroom, living and dining room. I've started on the main bathroom (tub, stool and counter top), but I still have the kitchen. One of my greatest accomplishments was cleaning the hard wood floors (all except in the office). I even rolled up the rug in the living room to clean the floors in there.

Church was good tonight... fairly encouraging. There seem to be some new folks around. That always livens things up a bit. In fact, I think I'm working on making a new friend. It's been awhile, so I'm looking forward to exploring that.

No other news to report... other than I'm tired and want to get in bed. G'night!

Ahhh... sweet relief

FINALLY!! I have a new phone in my possession. Same #, same service. I think it's Samsung's response to the Motorola Razor. I'm enjoying it so far. Mainly, though, I'm just happy to have good reception and for the person on the other end of the line to be able to hear me! (It's the simple pleasures...)





Okay, I just remembered I have to be at a meeting at 6:30 AM. I guess I should get in bed!!!! But, remind me to tell you about the guy I met at the Sprint store. It's one small leap for most women, but one GIANT leap for Krista!! :)

Beautiful!

Love is like a booger...

You keep picking at it until you get it, then wonder what to do with it. (Unknown)

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Krista

P.S. - For all you single women out there...

Sprint Spatz

My story begins on New Years Eve. I had my phone with me at or about the stroke of midnight, but my 12:30 AM or so it had gone missing. I was at church, so I had to have lost it somewhere in the building... UNLESS it was packed away on the truck with all our stuff OR it fell into a trash can and was taken out of the building that way. Yes... I tried calling it, but I knew I left it on vibrate that night, so that wasn't successful. So, I waited one week... until the following Sunday, hoping to find it again. No luck. It has yet to reappear.

Soon thereafter a friend (Chris C... don't say I never mention you either!) offered me an old cell phone of his to use. It was fairly similar to my old one, so I activated it and began using it. I was impressed with how easy it was to call in and activate the "new" phone! Kudos to Sprint on that one! However, as soon as people began calling me, they started complaining about how difficult it was to hear me. So, it didn't take me too long to realize I needed a NEW phone.

I tried looking on line to see when I was eligible for my next rebate, but was having difficulty. So, I headed to my local Sprint store to inquire. I explained to them what happened, and they said, "oh... didn't they tell you when you activated the other phone that it would RESET your rebate period?"

Krista: (disappointedly) "uh... no... they did not."

Sprint Rep: "Oh... so they didn't tell you that as of September you were eligible for $150 toward a brand new phone?"

Krista: (even more irritated) "No. They did not."

As luck would have it, the in-store reps were helpless. They suggested I go back home, call Sprint Customer Care (yes... "Customer Care") and see if they would reset the rebate. (joy, joy)

I called Sprint expecting them to put up a fight. Instead, they were very quick and helpful. They reset the rebate and transferred me to the sales department to order a new phone.

PHASE 2:

I believe I was patched through to a call center somewhere in India. I had already visited Sprint's website to ID a potential model. So, that was easy enough... or should have been. Before closing the deal, I unfortunately asked the rep if the phone had a certain feature (even though I had verified that on-line). She said that it did not. After being put on hold TWICE and me having time to verify it on-line, she came back and said that it "definitely does NOT have that feature." I told her I had checked it on the website, and it said the phone DOES have that feature. She then asked me if I was looking at phonescoop.com. I sternly replied, "NO! I'm looking at SPRINTPCS.COM!!!!! SPRINT'S WEBSITE!!!" After going there herself she (surprisingly) admitted that the phone DID have that feature. Right before finishing up, she gave me my new phone number. Um... "I don't want a new phone number!!! I just want a new phone." She kindly explained that sending the phone programmed with my old # might result in a break in service. So, she told me when I received the new phone to call in and have them switch the number when I activate it. Okay, fine, whatever.

Waiting... waiting... waiting for my new phone...

The phone arrives. I pretty much hate it at first sight. But, whatever... it's a new phone. I call in to activate it. The Sprint Rep (may have been the same lady as before) asked me what number I wanted to change it to. When I gave her the #, she said, "I show that's a number on one of your other lines." HELLO!!! I DIDN'T WANT A SECOND LINE. I JUST WANTED A NEW PHONE!!!!! She gets more and more confused and finally transfers me to someone in the continental United States. Ah, David, you're a sound for sore ears! However, he explained that he could not change the number on that phone without charging me FULL PRICE for the phone (i.e. - not applying the $150 rebate). He says I'll have to return that phone and they can ship out another one. Grrrrrr!!!!! I vented to him awhile, because I had made it VERY CLEAR to Sprint what I wanted (and didn't want). He finally said he'd mail me a return pack for the phone, so I wouldn't be out any postage to resend it. (Gee, thanks.) I postpone the re-ordering of a new phone but ask him to reinstate the rebate so I can order a phone from a local Sprint store, which he fortunately does.

Waiting... waiting... waiting for the return pack.

After about a week, it finally comes. Shipping it back is relatively easy.

Few days later.... I go into a Sprint store and hate all of the phones they have... except for (of course) all of the uber-expensive ones. I finally decide on the same model that was originally mailed to me. (I'll have 30 days in which to return it if I don't like it.) However, the normal blue and silver phones are gone. All they have is PINK. The thought of carrying around a candy pink phone for the next two years made me want to puke, so I passed and left the store... unsatisfied yet again.

Two weeks later (today), I visit a Cingular store. I like some of the phone options, but wonder about the cost-benefit given the fact that my whole family and close friends are still with Sprint.

Several hours later I receive my latest Sprint bill... which includes $204 of charges related to the "new phone line" they set up for me. So, I spent the last hour on the phone with Sprint again. I was told "a credit will be issued for the phone within ten to fifteen days of them receiving the phone you sent back," which apparently they received on February 7th. I kept saying (because I'm set up on automatic withdrawal, "I DON'T WANT MY BANK ACCOUNT TO BE CHARGED FOR THAT LINE." They would reply, "we will credit back your account when the paperwork goes through." I would repeat, "I DON'T WANT MY BANK ACCOUNT TO BE CHARGED FOR THAT LINE." I finally asked for a manager, who told me pretty much the same thing. But, she finally assured me that it would be credited within 10 days (which is before it's due to hit my account); however, the last thing she said is "you might call back two days before it hits just to make sure..." Geesh.

Believe it or not, that's the abbreviated story. Within each of those calls was more arguing and fighting than I described here. What I want to know is... whatever happened to CUSTOMER SERVICE? Admitting mistakes (many, many mistakes) have been made and trying to make it right? Is that too much to ask?

Anyway... the reception on my land-line sucks, too. So, please don't think I'm ignoring any of you. It's just been annoying to use either of my phones for the past six weeks. Maybe one day I'll get it resolved and have clear reception once again.

Kudos to anyone who actually read this whole post. I'm impressed!

Pictoral Documentation

This was one of our favorite runs. It was much more steep than it looks. I got pretty good at taking it fast... except for the one time I did a shoulder-plant into one of the moguls!

Krista the Snow Bunny!

Panoramic. Beeeeaaaauuuutiful!!!

"Either way..."

Well... it seems I have a lot to blog about.

First, a non-personal comment. I caught a clip of 20/20 tonight, and they were interviewing this young kid who has been producing videos on-line. I thought it was fascinating for some reason. I think I'm just impressed (maybe even a bit scared) at the power of the internet.

I've returned safely from my ski escape to Colorado. I have a few impressive bruises, but I wouldn't trade a one of them. :) I'm just disappointed the trip is over and I'm back to life as usual.

I have learned a few things, though...

1) Though some can do it, I am not able to sit/lay down on the back of my skis and then stand up again. I tried numerous times, but I could barely even keep from crashing... much less get back up.

2) I'm glad I don't have kids. :) Don't get me wrong, children can be adorable... and I enjoyed getting to play with Seth in the evenings on our trip. But... when they're unhappy, they're unhappy. To complicate matters, they don't seem to have an off switch.

3) I'm apparently a "light blue."

4) It was brought to my attention that I say "either way" all the time. And, it seems to true. It was pointed out to me repeatedly on this trip.

5) My niece, Avery, got her first tooth. Erin was kind enough to call me and let me know!

So, it was an educational trip, too!

I enjoyed all the slopes, but the last day, we went up on top of the mountain and had about a 315-degree panoramic view of the mountains. It was an amazing site! I'm always impressed at God's creativity in creation! I'll try to post a picture or two for you! I was just fortunate enough not to be blown off the top of the mountain. :)

Okay... more blogging to come. If not tonight, then soon!

Bruised & Battered

Well... I've been skiing the past three days... and loving every minute of it. I'm a bit bruised and battered, but no matter. It was well worth it. We spent one day at Keystone then hit Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin. A-Basin is a sort of smallish resort, but it's fun to just play around in the trees and terrain parks. I took several good spills. But the way I see it... if you don't take any good spills, you're not skiing hard enough. :)

More on that later. We're driving home tomorrow!

Krista

Love Me Tender

I just finished watching part of a documentary on the life of Elvis. I'm kind of a closet Elvis fan. It seems an odd fascination... like my fascination with Rocky movies and Christopher Walken. It's difficult to explain. I don't collect Elvis memorabilia or anything. I only have one CD... the latest compilation of all of his #1 hits. But, it's difficult for me not to watch old Elvis movies or documentaries when I run across them. I really think if I had been alive in the 50's I would have been one of those crazy girls who nearly faints at the thought of Elvis. Although, if I had the same parents then as I do now, I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to listen to him music or watch his movies. My how things have changed!

Holiness

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"

I Peter 1:13-16

Addictions... some old, some new

Okay, so I'm addicted to the "old-school" video games on John's website. If you've been there, you know what I mean! Snake is my favorite, though I'm obviously no good. (Don't be fooled by the fact that the initials "KDR" appear toward the top of the list.) Matt H. is the undeniable champion. (Don't say you're never mentioned on my blog!!) Well, except for PACMAN, where Matt F. has blown everyone away. Check it out, if you dare.

My other (renewed) addiction? 24

Season 6 started last night. I've decided (for the time being) to skip Seasons 3-5 and watch the current season with the rest of the world. Don't you just love Jack Bauer?!?! :) The second half of the premier is on tonight, so I'm secretly hoping choir rehearsal will be canceled.

Crazy Linda

Okay, here's the real update... at least as much as I can manage at this time...

I spent the morning in the courthouse. There was supposed to be a preliminary trial for one girl involved in our break-in. Apparently she didn't actually participate in the burglary... just got caught with the stolen good in her car afterwards. Allegedly. Did I say "allegedly"? ;) Anyway, it was all for naught. After an hour and a half we were released to go. She waived her right to the trial or something. I'm still a bit confused as to what happened. Regardless, it sounds like we could be subpoenaed to testify again in the future. In the meantime, we turned in a list of everything we lost and the real-world value of those things. Such a pain, such a pain.

In other life news... busy season sucks. :) I know that doesn't make any sense, but trust me...it does. Regardless, I'm feeling somewhat optimistic about 2007. Good things may be in store. In fact, I had a fortune cookie the other day that said, "Big change is ahead for you" (or something like that). I realize that could be big bad change, too, but I'm hoping for the best. :)

If nothing else, the weekend is ahead!

Commentary on the title line: I had a Crazy Linda Roll today at a local sushi restaurant. It totally rocks!!

My lovely nieces

Row, row, row your box...


I have to hand it to the competition (Aunt Michelle)... when Erin opened the box with the boots she exclaimed (and I mean EXCLAIMED), "THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!!!!!! I'VE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THESE!!!!" So, Aunt Chelle may have usurped her authority as the underling aunt.

Our little model...


Princess Natalie...

L'il Avery. 'Nuff said. :)

Christmas 2004

No, the above title is not a typo. For Christmas 2004, our family decided to draw names for Christmas. And just to change things up a bit, we add a requirement that you had to MAKE the gift. Was it a success you ask? Well... let me put it this way... most of us received "IOU's" for Christmas that year. And a further indication as to the success (or lack thereof), there's been no mention of ever doing that again.


All that being said, Mom made good on her Christmas gift to me this year! And, it was definitely worth the wait. (I had my brother's name, and though he actually received a gift on December 25, 2004, they were baked goods... mainly cookies.)


So, without further ado...

Monogrammed sheets, too! (Thanks, Ann!!!)

Love you, Mom!! Yes... DEFINITELY worth the wait! :)

Ain't she a beaute!

Okay... here's the car....

Found!

I don't believe I blogged about it, but another attempt had been made on my jewelry... this time by my niece, Erin. :) My whole family came down for Christmas, and at some point, my niece gathered up all of my jewelry from my jewelry box, put it in some kind of children's toy (a plastic box with different shaped cutouts) and carried it out to the living room to show it off. The only problem was that half of it was falling out through the cutouts. I commented that the recent burgulars tried the same thing with a ziploc bag. :)

So, I collected the jewelry and untangled it all for the second time in recent days. The only thing I couldn't find was one tiny peridot earring. I wasn't too upset about it, but I was hoping to locate it, as it was a gift from my grandparents... when I first got my ears pierced. We searched high and low... from the bedroom, down the hall, into the living room, carefully through the living room carpet... to no avail. I finally vacuumed my carpet last night. (I had been putting it off... assuming I would probably suck up the earring as I cleaned.) No further sign of the earring. HOWEVER... when I got home tonight, I did a bit more cleaning in the kitchen. I saw the earring just as I nearly sucked it up! But, it was saved from the jaws of the vacuum cleaner, and it has been safely restored to my jewelry box! Yeah!

I think I've also finished my replies to companies and organizations regarding my stolen checks and credit card. That was quite a hassle, but I hope I'm done. (Knock on wood!)

Madness

"He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. There nearly always is method in madness. It's what drives men mad, being methodical." ~G.K. Chesterson

I believe he also said, "it is chess players, not artists, who go mad." Actually... I've just retrieved the actual quote... "poets do not go mad; but chess players do." (Orthodoxy)

Peppermint Perdition

Okay, I must respond to comments in my previous post, "Temporary Depression."

1) The stuff everyone noted in the shower this weekend was "mint bliss scrub for feet" not the "pampermint foot work" that I mistakenly referred to as "peppermint foot scrub." However, I can see where there could be some confusion. I realize it might be a bit ridiculous to be upset over one scrub when I had another there at my fingertips, but again... see my comments in the previous post about people rooting around in my personal things.

2) It was what I would call a "thorough and conclusive search" (so I thought before I stepped into my bath).

3) I do not enjoy vats of lukewarm bath water. But, that's all I had at the moment. I had already run a full bath and could be assured of no more warm water after that. So... it was either a lukewarm bath or a very cold shower. I opted for the lukewarm bath that night and a hot steamy shower in the morning. So, I don't believe my lukewarm bath can be used to question the legitimacy of my previous statements and temporary depression.

4) Ion, Michelle... the soap was Zest. Please avoid it in the future. I'm sorry to hear about your resulting full-body rash. :( Maybe that's your penance for (apparently) using my "mint bliss scrub for feet." (JK)

5) I'm going to bed. Have a good evening, folks.

~Krista

Temporary Depression Brought on by Apparent Missing Peppermint Foot Scrub

I know you men will not understand this, but I decided to take a bath tonight. I don't normall take baths, but taking some time to soak and relax sounded very nice. Right before I hopped in, I thought, "ahhhh... I feel like a little foot care this evening." But, when I looked for my peppermint foot scrub I couldn't find it. I searched high and low... in the likely AND unlikely places. I became more and more frustrated trying to find it. I kept thinking, "surely the thieves didn't take the foot scrub." But... there was a girl involved in the robbery... so, who knows.

Most of you probably don't know how depressing it is to think someone just wandered through your house looking for things they might want... either because they were worth something or they just liked it. I'm sure they were mainly looking for things of value, but that can't be true of the St. Patrick's shamrock charm bracelet they took or the fake strand of pearls or my blue dangley earrings. :( So... I finally concluded that the perp must have been needing (read: wanting) some nice Peppermint Foot Scrub. Grrrrrrrr.

However, there's a happy ending here. After soaking in luke warm water (yuck!... the laundry must have taken a considerable amount of the hot water) for a bit, I got out, dried off and resumed my search for the scrub. I finally found it in the most obvious place... a place I'm sure I looked several times before getting in the tub. You know, it's strange how sometimes you're completely blind to the one thing you're really looking for. Hrmmmm... that's fairly profound. Maybe THAT'S the moral of the story. :)

Welcome Home!

I did it! I bought a new car, and by "new" I mean NEW!! :) I test drove it this morning, when its odometer read "0000007 miles." :)

She's a beaute... 2007 Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Accord Sedan EXL V-6 with ivory leather interior.

I haven't named her yet, so I'm open to hearing your suggestions on the name. (I'm pretty sure she's female, but I'm open to considering other options as well.)

Busted!

It's late, and I should really be in bed; however, I need to catch you up on a few things...

1) Theresa and I swept leaves off the roof on Friday night. It was rather enjoyable, actually. It was unseasonably warm, and so we sat up there and chatted for awhile after we were done with our chore.

2) News Channel 8 showed up on my doorstep Friday night. They told me that the Tulsa PD had busted a house over in Sand Springs. Among other stolen property, my checkbook surfaced! They wanted to interview me for the 10 o'clock news! Not only did they come in and interview me about it all, they lead the news with the "exclusive" story and a live shot in front of my house! How crazy! They said it could take awhile for us to hear about or get any of our stuff back, but I'm hoping it won't be too long. I'm anxious to see what they've recovered!

3) We had The Gathering Christmas Party at my house last night. It was great fun... lots of people, lots of good food, a great way to celebrate the season. Now I feel like I'm home-free for Christmas. I have work and a concert this week, but that's about it!

4) Other interesting things may be afoot, but I can't be sure.

If I don't write again before then... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Unflappable

Un·flap·pa·ble: marked by assurance and self-control

So, a friend of mine told me yesterday that I could have been Winston Churchill's mother. I'm still digesting that and trying to figure out if it was a compliment or not. :) But, he also used the word "unflappable" to describe me. (See definition above.) And tonight I went to a Christmas party. The host introduced everyone in a fairly unique way, and I was donned "Krista 'The Rock.'" So, I suppose I see the theme. In fact, it reminds me of a letter a friend wrote to me in college. He was going through some rough times and remarked that "You have been the one physical rock that has held me up and kept me from giving in! ... You are the strong one - but someday soon I'll be back home and you can lean on me!" I'm not sure that ever happened, but it sounded really nice. I think it'd be nice to lean into someone else for awhile and explore my softer side.

A REAL Kamikaze Drink

I don't want you to miss David's commentary and my childhood memory in a past comment. Check it out...

No Stone Unturned

So... I'm in a choir, and every time we begin new music they have practice CD's available for people to buy for $1. It seems like every time I'm short the dollar or have to scrounge for change, etc. So, at one of our rehearsals last month I specifically took a dollar bill and put it in my choir folder for the next go-around.

Tonight when I got to choir we started practicing our new music... Missa Solemnis by Beethoven, and as always, they had practice CD's out. I was so excited to pull out my dollar and show my choir friends that I had been responsible and kept back a dollar for the CD.

You probably guessed it... the dollar was GONE!!!!! :( Man, those thieves were thorough. I guess that explains why my music was strewn about my room during the ransack. It was only a dollar, but I'll tell you... THAT CHAPS MY HIDE!!!

The History of the Bible

I was reading from James last night… the verse about the “double-minded man.” Well, that reminded me that I had emailed a friend recently about that verse. I was fairly certain that I had looked that verse up in my old NIV Bible to make sure it was from James before sending the email. When I remembered that, I continued my detective work and pulled up that email to verify it had been sent on Monday the 20th. I usually don’t take the Bible from the house except for Sundays, and I don't believe I had taken that Bible from the house on the day of the Burglary (the 26th). So, more and more signs were pointing to the stolen Bible theory.

However, shortly after determining that, I searched my car one more time and found the beloved Scripture in the floorboard. :) It was a little cold and shaken up, but it’ll be okay. I will have had it 19 years this Christmas.

So, cross that one off the list!!

P.S. - RE: the comment cottage cheese comment in the last post... I know better than to test the viability of cottage cheese by tasting it. In fact, I won't touch any dairy product that is even close to expiring. Blegh! :( It makes me sick just thinking about it!

Car Update

To answer questions posed by Mike (disguised as an "Anonymous" commenter), no I have not yet purchased a new car. I have done some looking, but haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet. I have found something I like, though... a 2003 Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Accord EXL V6 Sedan. I made an offer on one that had about 31,000 miles, but they wouldn't go as low as my offer. The salesman called the next day to say he had an identical car (with a few more miles on it) that he could take down to my price. I went and looked at it. It was okay... had about 46,000 miles on it and some damage to the paint on the back trunk. They were planning to fix the paint spot on the back, but I just didn't feel as good about that one. I think the salesman was frustrated with me, because I was still stuck on the other one. But, I'm glad I didn't do it, because I was looking on-line today and saw the second car listed in their inventory for $1500 LESS that my offer amount!!!!

I apologize if any of you reading this blog are or have been a used car salesman (... Mike... :) ...), but stuff like that makes me boil!!

No, I'm not pregnant! I swear!

Well... another update. Yesterday morning I started remembering what was included in a stack of cards that appear to be missing from my desk area. All I could think of was my voter registration card. But, it also contained several store-credit cards that I rarely use. When I thought of one... I thought of FOUR!! Yikes. So, I quickly got on the phone and started canceling cards. Only one had a balance... a Sears card. Apparently some charges were made on Monday (day after the burglary) and included some maternity items. :(

I just can't imagine what it might be like to live life like that... "honey, we really need to decorate the nursery for li'l Junior Gangster. Whose card should I use today?"

Btw... has anyone seen my blue, leather NIV Bible? I can hardly believe it was stolen, but I can't seem to locate it anywhere...

Hope everyone's staying warm. There's still lots of snow on the ground here. I've snowbound now for approximately 53.5 hours straight. I may have to bust outta here later!

Blue Danglies

Well, I haven't much felt like blogging this week... after the event of last Sunday night. For those of you who haven't heard, someone broke into my house. Fortunately we weren't here. Apparently a boy (juvenile) and girl were casing the neighborhood or something. They had noticed a purse or something in Theresa's car and were planning to steal it. Before they could do that, though, Theresa came out and left the house. So... they apparently went up and knocked on the door to determine no one was home before going around to the back and breaking in through the bathroom window.

Long story short, they ransacked the place looking for anything they could find that might be worth something. Unfortunately, some of the stuff they took was worth much, much more to me than it would be to anyone else. But, all-in-all, they really didn't get away with all that much. The police pulled them over (because the car had been described in connection with other burglaries) and recovered a portion of the stolen items... my camera and some jewelry.

Since then we've been cleaning and taking all the necessary precautions (changing accounts, rekeying locks, etc.). What a pain!

I like the way my friend Babs put it... "Wouldn't you rather they just write you a letter demanding money? You could just write them a check and be done with it." :)

Thank you to all of my friends and neighbors who have rallied around us in support! (Lesser thanks to the neighbors who the very next night decided to play outside circa 1:30 am and scare us with their screaming and barking dog.)

Commentary on the title... it's a description of the latest thing I've noted missing... a pair of blue dangly earrings I bought last time I was in La Jolla, CA. :(

Lured in...

Well, I've been lured in by myspace. I have a lot of friends who are out there, so I thought I'd update a profile. My page is pretty pathetic, so I'll have to work on it. However, never fear. I'm planning to keep my blog here at blogspot. I mean... it's been two years now. How can I leave when I've invested so much time here?

For those of you who are interested, my page on myspace is at the following address...

http://www.myspace.com/krista0818.

Love Rides the Rails

Theresa has a new quote for all you single ladies out there...

"The Love Train arrives promptly at noon for the girl who waits patiently."

I think it's probably best to be spoken by Barry White.

Enjoy!

Middle-Age

Well... it's official. I now own a robe, which in some circles qualifies me as a middle-aged adult. :)

But, it's warm and fuzzy, and even though it makes me look like an abominable snow woman, I love it!

430 Days of Laziness

I haven't felt well today, and yes... I know it's late, but I can't seem to sleep. Plus, I had something I wanted to blog about.

I was laying on my side in bed the other morning (maybe Saturday) thinking about how nice it was to lay there... just thinking, praying, enjoying the morning. As I thought I could lay there forever, a story came to mind. I was reminded of Ezekiel. I read the story recently about God calling Ezekial to prophesy to the Israelites. Among other things, God tells Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days... one day for every year of Israel's rebellion. When he's done with that... he got to switch to his right side... another 40 days for Judah's rebellion.

Wow! Who can empathize with his initial response to God's call?...

"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat down among them for seven days - overwhelmed." (Ezekiel 3:14-15)

I think he may have sat there longer, only the LORD snapped him out of it by giving him the 430-day instructions.

So... why is it such a popular notion that God's plan for each of us is to make us happy? The Bible is chock full of stories of God calling men and women to do things that seemed contrary to their logic and unlikely to make them happy...

Abraham - God asked him to move from his home (um... out of his comfort zone) and later to sacrifice his son

Moses - God asked him to lead the Israelites out of slavery (do you remember how many times Moses argued with God over that one?)

Mary - have God's son (how would you like to face the questions/ridicule about that one?)

There's a quote I love... maybe by A.W. Tozer, though I'm not positive... "God's will isn't always easy, but it's always right."

May you and I answer God's call no matter the consequence.

In other words... darling, kiss me

It's late. I won't write long, but I thought I'd catch you up since my last post. Of note...

1) A good friend of mine from Emporia came to visit this weekend. :) I hadn't seen her in quite awhile, so it was good to catch up. Our major activities included going to a Mark Schultz concert and making homemade Christmas cards.

2) I got to shake Mark Schultz's hand. It was mainly by accident. He was out greeting some of the folks in the audience prior to the show, and I was simply trying to find my seat. As I was walking past him, he stuck out his hand and shook me. He sure is lucky! I don't give out handshakes as freely as he apparently does. ;)

3) The Christmas card making was fun! I don't get too many opportunities to be really creative, so I enjoyed that. If you're lucky, you might just get one in the mail (if I can part with them.)

4) I've looked at a few cars but haven't decided on anything yet. I'm leaning toward an Accord or Camry at this point.

Okay. I'm too tired to write any more. G'night...

Aunt Krista & Erin (and jack-o-lanterns)

Natalie

Avery

Deer Diary,

I thought I'd update you on the weekend festivities. I've been to KC and back since I last blogged. It was good (as always) to see my dear little nieces. They are growing like weeds! (I may have some pics worth posting...)

The real excitement for the weekend:

As if my car was beat-up enough, I hit a deer in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Fortunately it wasn't head-on. (I likely wouldn't have survived to type this blog.) It was more of a side-swiping. It banged up the driver-side of my car... doors, side panels, etc. It knocked off the driver's side mirror and cracked the windshield. My backdoor no longer opens from the outside and the driver's window no longer rolls down. (That makes drive-thrus, ATMs and turnpike entrances a bit more complicated.) With the previous hail and hit-and-run damage, I think it's time to start looking for a new (to me) car. I'll take any suggestions you may have.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Krista

MIA

My home (cordless) phone has gone missing. I last remember using it when I was messing with the lid to my oil tank in my car. So, I'm not sure what happened. I realized it was gone later that night (after taking the car out). I tried to call it, but to no avail. Maybe it escaped from the safety of the house?

Regardless, I now only have a "cord-ed" phone to use. That's just more proof that I should drop the land line. I guess I need to (literally) "cut the cord." :)

Oh to be in Honduras....

I shoulda gone. :(

Fantasy World

I know it's late (or rather... "early"), but I had some thoughts rolling around and wanted to commit them to writing.

First of all, I've been dwelling on a statement this week... "We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners." It seems somewhat harsh, and yet I believe it's probably a true statement. "To sin" is an action, but "being a sinner" describes one's character. So, tonight, I was thinking of the story in Luke 7, where a woman pours perfume on Jesus' feet. Jesus concludes by saying that those who have been forgiven much love much and that "he who has been forgiven little loves little." I always felt kind of like that person who had been forgiven little. I mean, my sins are "little sins"... not thinking of others first, not fully trusting God, watching too much TV, etc. I know Jesus died for my sins, but I'm not doing too bad on my own.

(I'm feeling fairly heretical writing this, but please hang with me...)

I was thinking tonight of a paper I wrote in high school. I'm not sure what the assignment was, but I titled my paper, "Fluctuations in a World of Placidity." (Gotta love a thesaurus in the hands of nerdy high school student!) The point I made in the paper was how I've had it pretty easy in life... no major trauma or road blocks to work through. And, it's not that life has been all rosy since then, but I still don't have much to complain about. This past month or two, I've had my eyes opened to some of the frightening realities that others have had to deal with and live through. What must it be like to be abused (in any number of ways), to not have parents to love and nurture, to walk through life completely alone, to worry all the time about surviving from day to day? I can't begin to imagine what that must be like. But, again, so many of those things are results of there being sin in this world. I've been very protected.

It's been fairly easy in life for me to ignore my sinful nature and the effects of sin in our world. It's much more comfortable for me to wear blinders and pretend that things are pretty much okay in the world. But then again... if that's true, why did Christ have to die? Here's another quote about sin and grace that shakes me up a bit...

"It is impossible for us to know how profound God's grace is until we grasp the pervasiveness of sin."

So, in terms of sin in the world... it's becoming more and more painfully obvious that sin is running rampant and that we ourselves are helpless to change it. And as for MY sin... maybe I'm still working on that. But this past year, I've faced up to the gravity of sins of omission. We tend to talk more about the sins we commit, but I've come to think that the things we DON'T do are even more of a problem. For example, my selfishness may result in a sin of commission, but it also keeps me from sharing God's love and forgiveness with others. Or, if I mistreat my body (God's temple), I may not remain healthy enough to spread God's Word as he desires. So, I have a LONG, LONG way to go... and I can't get there on my own. So....

God, slap me with the reality of my own sin, and then let me love you all the more for your redeeming grace.

The White Lion

I just returned from The White Lion, an English pub here in town. It's been on "my list" (the list of places I'd like to go) for years, but I just now made it by. It's an absolute must. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get there. It's what you might expect from an English pub... quaint, dark colors, English food, lots of alcohol and good friends. It's a great place for just sitting and talking about the world's problems.

I can't wait to go again!

World's Most Famous Novel...

I received an ad in the mail for a sort of book club. It said...

"The world's most famous novel...
by the world's most famous author..."

What do you think it might be?

Today is my Sabbath

Yesterday was the Grand Opening for The Gathering. I talked to our pastor early in the day and said, "I'm really excited, and at the same time I can't wait for it to be over." It's been really busy lately... leading up to this move and our Grand Opening. We had a great turnout last night... just over 200 people, I think! It was great to have so many friends and family out to support us. Quite a few folks from our parent church showed up, too, so it was good to have them there! We also had a lot of visitors. I'm hoping they didn't feel lost in the shuffle. Hopefully they'll be back again next week so we can really get to know them!

I got home about 11 PM last night and crashed. I felt like I could hardly even walk anymore, as I had been on my feet most of the afternoon and evening. So, with the new full-days on Sundays, I've decided to start taking Mondays off. This one was DEFINITELY needed. I think I slept until 11:30 AM!! I've also been reading and practicing my TOC music. (We have a concert on Saturday.) As I was reading, I happened across this...

"Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.

Sabbath is a day when my work is done, even if it isn't.

Sabbath is a day when my job is to enjoy. Period

Sabbath is a day when I am fully available to myself and those I love most.

Sabbath is a day when I remember that when God made the world, he saw that it was good.

Sabbath is a day when I produce nothing.

Sabbath is a day when I remind myself that I am not a machine.

Sabbath is a day when at the end I say, 'I didn't do anything today,' and I don't add, 'And I feel so guilty.'

Sabbath is a day when my phone is turned off, I don't check my email, and you can't get ahold of me."

(That's from Rob Bell's book, "Velvet Elvis")

So, I'm trying to learn those things... and God helps me some. I was going to mow the lawn today, but it's been raining all day. :) (Thanks, Papa!)

Enjoy your Sabbath!

Krista

Nakidity

I got a babysitting gig tonight. :) Actually, I watched my honorary nephew, Seth, while his parents went to a concert. It felt sorta junior-highish. First of all, I went to their house. (I've always watched him here at my house in the past.) Then, Matt and JW joined me for a bit. I teased them that, "I might get in trouble if Tim & Laurel get back and find out I had a party at their house." ;) JW brought some key lime pie. Mmmmmm...

After Seth went to sleep and the company was gone I got to watch "Ren & Stimpy." I haven't watched it in forever, so it was nice to catch. They were camping in one episode, and (among other things) they went skinny dipping in a lake. Stimpy stripped down from his skin (since he doesn't really wear clothes anyway). Ren was very embarrassed, though, because he was afraid someone would see them. And, of course, that happened... other people joined in the fun as soon as they were in the lake. One of the unwelcomed guests said "it's so nice to meet others who feel comfortable with their own nakidity."

Okay, I'm tired. Have a good night, y'all!

Diagnosis Murder

From the comments on my last post, it appears I have a lot to learn about boys. (No real surprise there.)

So, Theresa (my roommate) likes to watch "Diagnosis Murder." It's the cheesy detective show with the aging Dick Van Dyke. I can't figure out exactly why she watches it, because she's very young... quite a bit younger than I am. She made a comment about me making fun of the show one night. I told her, "I'm not so much making fun of the show as I'm making fun of YOU." :)

I guess she used to watch it with her dad or something. (So, I'm inclined to accept that as a valid reason for liking the show, because I have the same feelings about "Rockford Files." I used to watch that with my dad when I was very young.) Anyway, in the course of watching the show one night, I asked her, "have you ever noticed the commercials they play during this show?" Then we spent the remainder of the night laughing at the AARP, Medicare, ED and other Wilford Brimley commercials.

You'll be happy to note that we're both fairly hooked now.

(JK)

Bowling Update

Game #1: 130

Game #2: 94

It's been said that the absence of a Y-chromosome is supposed to give a human being the willingness to allow the opposite sex to win at any game or competition. I don't believe I have that trait. Now, granted, you probably wonder if I don't given my poor bowling scores above; however, I was playing with four guys. I had the high score in Game #1, and only one person scored a higher score (135) in Game #2.

I used to play chess with a guy-friend of mine in college. I beat him in our first three games. I thought he was kidding when he was pouting on the couch after his third defeat, but I came to realize he was not kidding. He was crushed. So, I did the unthinkable... I threw the next game... lost on purpose. Well, I could never get it back. I probably lost the next 30 games we played, despite my every effort to win. I always thought that was my penance for throwing game four.

So, I don't think I've thrown a game since. Sorry boys! :) But the way I look at it... who wants their ego boosted artificially?

Philippians 2:3-4

The verse I'm currently memorizing...

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others."

That's so hard to do! I get caught up in accomplishing my agenda instead of seeking to serve others and looking out for their interests. I'm going to work towards less agenda and more listening/loving. Call me out when I'm not doing that!

Forever and Ever, Amen

A nice change this evening. A friend called late in the day and had tickets to a Randy Travis concert tonight. (Practicing the advice given by Chelle in the last post.) I'm not a huge fan, though I know a good number of his songs. But, it was nice to get out of the house for an evening. I enjoyed two songs the most... "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "If I Didn't Have You."

It's also reminded me of a song I used to love by George Strait... "What Do You Say to That?" I just downloaded it from itunes and have it on permanent repeat. :)

Krista

The Black Tie Bingo Disco Ball

Well, I just discovered (or had confirmed) today that to most guys the phrase "rain check," when uttered/written by any girl in response to an invitation to do something, translates "no... not now... not ever."

That's really unfortunate, because I'm sure I've used that very phrase... more than once... when I truly would have been interested but had other commitments I couldn't break. I guess the reasoning behind that masculine theory is that for the "right guy" a girl will be willing to rearrange any previous engagements. I dunno... couldn't it also mean that she has integrity and fulfills her commitments?

So... what are the right words then? I obviously need some coaching. :)

CB Revisited

You may want to check out the comments in the recent CAR-meen-uh post. A wretched grammar (spelling) troll got in there.

A Quote for the Record Books

I visited with Mom this afternoon on the phone. She said at one point, referring to her concerns about sleeping all night in a camper with some kind of tent warmer, and I quote...

"We didn't want to wake up dead."

Hee, hee. Love you, Mums!! :)