Weekend Happenings

On Friday night, we headed over to the Mt. Pleasant football game...Oilers vs. Dow Chemics... What a fun game to watch! Both teams have some great players, making for an even competition. Lots of nail biting. The Oilers won, 28 to 13! Go Oilers!

There's Alex, our nephew, heading back from a play. He's a go-getter!

Alex runs with the ball and all the other players just fall down! I just love football games! The crisp air, the band, the fans, the smash of helmet smacking helmet, my father in law getting so excited he nearly shakes me to pieces. Ah, yes. I can't wait for Friday again...Farwell vs. Beaverton. We're rooting for our nephew Travis and cousin Derrick on the Eagles team. That's Farwell, in case you had forgotten.

These are the four, count them, four Honeycrisp apples that grew on our tree that we just planted in the spring. The spring! The actual tree looked more like a glorified twig. We finally picked the apples after church on Sunday. Such excitement. Such anticipation. Our first apples ever. And Honeycrisps to boot!

Delicious! Serena and I gave the tree a little kiss for all the hard work it did all summer to bring us just one juicy crispy apple to enjoy. I just love Fall, don't you?

You'd have to have straw for brains not to love fall. Here we are standing in the front yard...ya gotta just love fall!

Shh....

Have you ever responded to a yelling child with more yelling? Where did (or does) it get you? A pretty big headache- that's about it. Oh, and a child who still won't listen in some cases.

Has someone ever yelled their beliefs at you a bit too strongly and you felt the urge to pull back? That's what happens to me when I feel someone is forcing their beliefs on me, whether it is a political stance, a religious one, or just a really strong opinion. To me it doesn't matter if I think you're wrong or right, I just don't care to have them thrown at me with no regard to my thoughts at all.

Like the child, I clamp my hands over my ears and you get a headache.

Yes, you will get more flies with honey. I will listen to you if you speak to me quietly and respectfully. If you raise your voice, become shrilly, or over-emotional, you have lost my attention. If your statement is drastic, irrational, or not backed up by actual unbiased facts (big mouthful), I will not hear you at all, like the child screaming while you scream.

Perhaps this is why the following was said....

"To aspire to be quiet or calm is the responsibility of every believer...it is the responsibility of every believer to desire with all their heart to be quiet and calm." Watchman Nee- The Spiritual Man (from a Joyce Meyer program)

Who do you know that is an example of quiet and calm but gets your attention? This is what we should aspire to be. In this time where beliefs threaten to divide us more than ever, we have to remain at peace inside when the storm is brewing everywhere else.

Do you want to be right? It's a lonely place. Strive to be at peace and joy will be your company!!

What's on My Mind

I'm still here, unlike Allison, who seems to have broken up with us and moved on to Facebook exclusively. Sigh...can't win them all, it's true. Miss ya, buddy.

So, I've been doing a lot of my usual fall stuff, which keeps me off this extremely slow computer. I sure wish my life was as slow as this hunk of plastic.

I've been apple picking, which resulted in a lot of applesauce, and I have even more apples to make into the promised apple pie this week. Not sure when I'll get to that, but hopefully soon. The freezer is getting full of all kinds of goodies and for that I am grateful.

I've been doing some encouraging, which blessed me last week and continues to do so. All I can say is never give up on that loved one....God is still working on them even if you feel it's impossible. We should know better, but sometimes we forget.

My buddy moved to Vicksburg and is feeling a bit lonely, so we've had some great conversations full of lots of laughter as usual. It is wonderful to have a friend who really makes time for you, and I have that in Patty. No matter what is going on in her busy life with 4 children, she makes time for her friends!! I can learn a lot from her, I suppose.

We have a load of dirt in the front yard again....I have a bedroom to paint....carpets to steam...a deck to finish (still didn't get that done)....a closet to organize....and on and on. Each day I am so grateful to be home doing all of that instead of dealing with the stress of an outside job. I'll take this any day, pitfalls and all.

This coming Saturday, I have the honor of photographing our niece, Cassie for her senior pictures. I say that so calmly, but I'm a bit of a nervous wreck. I'm not a professional. I feel I just get really lucky with my shots sometimes. I am hoping for a beautiful day full of color and that the light is "just right" for her beautiful face! So, another thing to do this week is scope out places to photograph her in the best possible way.

I will finally make it back to Pearls tomorrow after having to miss the first two. Of course, fearless leader Barb will not be there, but I'm sure Jenn will have something good. I'm helping to do an icebreaker tomorrow, which will be fun. Since leaving the Women's Ministry, I had started feeling a bit out of the loop! Oh well, there's always a loop for me somewhere, right?

Especially here, where I am never out of the loop. I'm the family manager, home manager, and dog manager. I'm the one who knows all, hears all, sees all, and cleans all. I wouldn't change a minute of it, believe it or not. Although, I truly would like to spend more time with friends and at least connecting with someone else besides my Kenmore and my beloved dog.

So, that's what's on my mind today. What's on yours? What's for dinner tonight? Any suggestions for my pictures of Cassie? Got time for coffee next week?

Love to all...have a blessed week!