Monday Morning Question

Krissy asks how we met our spouse..  I met Rob when I when I wasn't looking.  I was widowed and had decided I was through with married life.  I just wanted to live out my life serving God in Mexico.  I came up to Ventura for camp meeting and Rob was here from the San Francisco area.  I noticed him, of course, but since I wasn't looking, I didn't think anything of it.

Apparently, Rob saw me, too!  He told his pastor, "Look, pastor!  I like her."  His pastor said, "Foget it Robert . . .she's waay out of your league."

He was there every camp meeting.  We talked, he helped me load up things to take back to Mexico.  I thanked him for his help.  My friend said to me, "Penny, he likes you."  My reply?  "Get outta here!  What would a guy like that see in me?" 

We had a leaders retreat in late winter and Rob was there.  It was snowy outside and we were pretty much inside.  He followed me around and talked to me alot.  The spark was lit.  We were the only singles there and everyone was teasing us.  I blushed!  I never blushed before.  I spent a lot of time asking God what he was doing to me.  Then, as he was leaving, Rob gave me a little kiss and it was all over.

He says he had been following me around but that I treated him like an orphan puppy dog!  That's all changed now!  I treat him like he treats me - with love!

Saturday Six on Sunday . . .

1. What is the last product orservice you tried just because you saw a commercial that impressed oramused you about the product?  Did you like the product or serviceafter you tried it?  Went to Quizno's after we saw the baby that says, "When my molars grow in, I'm all over this.  Grrooowl"  Truth be said, the sandwich was pretty good.

2. How old is the oldest photograph in your home?  Are you in it? The oldest photograph in our home is that of my grandfather's grandmother - I'll venture to guess it's more than 150 years old . . .nope - I'm not in it.

3. What is the most supernatural event you have experienced?  Didyou feel there was a specific reason that it happened to you? Bout 10 years ago, I had a dream that so impressed me, I shared it with other people.  It was about a place and a gathering of people.  5 years ago, I found myself in that place and gathering with those people.  Down to the color of the buildings, it was the same.  Why did this happen to me?  I won't hazard a guess, but it felt like a small gift from God.

4. Do you usually consider the glass half-empty or half-full? Always half-full.  And there's more where that came from.

5. What part or parts of your body do you shave regularly?  None

6. What day is typically your busiest of the week?  What day areyou usually the happiest?  What day are you usually the saddest? Usually Tuesday is the busiest because we turn in Andrea's schoolwork on Wednesday.  I have to get the log all filled out and ready to go, plus make sure all her papers are corrected.  I'm happiest on Sunday and probably saddest on Monday.

Worth Waiting For

We did it!  We spent the first night in our new home last night.  It was wonderful!  Hank hasn't finished all of the work yet, but our bedrooms and the living room look good, the bathroom in functional and the kitchen too, once we get Hank's tool out of there.

It was really strange waking up there this morning.  I woke up fully refreshed at 5:00 am - I never do that anymore.  There was just a little gray light streaming in the window and it was so pleasant.  Last night, while we were watching TV together, I got this warm-all-over feeling and looked around at our things.  My grandmother's book-case, our computers, a hearth and my family.  My eyes filled with water and I guess I was grinning because Rob said, "What, honey?"  It just feels so darn good. 

I loved the years in Mexico.  I wouldn't change a thing.  I had the chance of a lifetime to be a mom to hundreds of kids, be a nurse, deliver a baby and leave a legacy.  It was a sweet, sweet life.  But for the last years, I never had privacy.  I never slept through the night.  My honeymoon was shared with a houseful of children.  No complaints; it's just the way it was. 

But now, our little family has its first real home together.  We don't have to share anymore with friends or other children.  It's just us.  I am so grateful to God for that tiny little house.  We've waited a long time.

It was worth the wait.

WIRELESS!

We are finally beginning the move into our new home!  Although everything is not finished, we will be sleeping here tonight.  And . . . ta-da!  I am using my laptop on our wireless connection!!!!  This is so coo - no more big clunky 'puter in our bedroom!  This will be the first time in 8 years I haven't shared my bedroom with my office - as I write this, the office stuff is just waiting for me to return and get it going again.

We have wireless phe hooked to our 'puters, hard-wired and wireless network - I am soooo jazzed.  I wish I were more of a techie, but for now, I'm happy as can be.  Lots of stuff to do today, but had to check in and let you know what's up.  \

Happy "hump day" to all

Say a Little Prayer

While I drive to work, I often pray or talk to God.  It's a good time to do it.  No real interruptions if traffic is quiet.  And I can talk out loud or sing or do whatever.  I try to do it every day.

While Saturday is not my normal work day, I am at work today because the weekend guy is on a fishing trip.  I hope he brings fish to share.  I didn't get a day off this week because the training schedule from headquarters interfered with my schedule and guess who won.

So as I was driving to work today, I began to pray for my children and grandchildren and other family and friends.  I was just talking to God - thanking Him for waiting for me while I was out there in my foolishness and asking Him to wait for those I love as well.  Then I just started to cry as I thought about it all.  I wondered if my mom cried over us as she prayed.  She probably did.  At least over me. 

Then I remembered what I had been told:  the pure fragrance of my mother's prayers didn't stop pleasing the Father when she died.  He knows no time.  It's all the same to him and it's said that our prayers and praises are a sweet fragrance unto His nostrils.  That made me cry even more.  It wasn't a sad cry at all.  It was joy.  I know that what I pray today will be ever-present with the Lord.  I never have to give up hope that my prayers will be answered.  He's always listening to them.  How about that?  My voice is as familiar to him as it could be.  He's hearing every prayer I ever prayed. And He's going to answer. 

That's wonderful!  God will answer every prayer.  I know . . . he answered my mom's prayers for me.  And He's answered countless of my prayers as well. 

Praises Be!

Weekend Assignment

I had to think about this a while, because I had several teachers that made my education more important.  I loved Mrs. Phillips, my second grade teacher, because she treated me like I was special.  But she's not the one that had the most influence on me.  It was my 9th grad English teacher that really made learning come alive for me.

In January, I was on retreat and met a girl who went to the same school as I and we talked about this teacher.  She even mentioned her name, which I have since place somewhere in the forgotten reaches of my memory bank.  I was always a reader, a writer, a poet, before I came into her class, but she brought something else to my love of the written word:  Shakespeare.  Iambic pentameter.  Wow!  She made it come alive.  We read A Midsummer Night's Dream.  We did something else, too - she had us memorize and play at least two parts from Romeo and Juliet.  She told us they always chose adults to play those parts because they didn't think young people could get the correct tempo for Shakespeare.  She said they were wrong, and spent nearly a year teaching us how to appreciate the true art form of Shakespeare's writing.  I still love it today.  I don't find it tedious or boring,  Just musical in the way it's written.  I'd love to give her better credit here, but the years have taken a toll on my memory and it seems too much has slipped out the gray hairs.

My second favorite subject when I was young?  MATH.  I loved math.  I loved how numbers worked together. It stayed that way until I hit college in my late 30's  - then I hated math!  Algebra was not my strong suit.  History, especially that of the United States and South America, became my second love.  Hated it when I was a kid - love it now.  Go figure.

Have a good weekend, all.  Stop by for a visit when you can.  The coffee pot's always on . . .

 

 

The Assignment "Before" the Weekend Assignment

I was reading the weekend assignment and I'm going to do it, really I am.  I do have a favorite teacher and I know what I liked second best.

But first . . . I remember well John's 6th grade class having their business, working and selling and finally producing a memorable play.  I was a working mom at the time and didn't get to attend every special event at school. I did, however, attend the play the Mr. Johnson's class put on.

It was wonderful!  John was great as the Artful Dodger.  What makes this memory more exciting is that just as we found pictures the other day, we found pictures of John I didn't even remember having - one of them on stage with Fagan.  I just had to share this with you! 

In case you're wondering, John is the one leaning on the cane. The kids did what I would call a professional job with this play.  Never had I then or since seen such young kids put on such a show.  Accordingly, the proud mama speaks up!

So that said . . .here it is.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.