Found this written somewhere in my journal. Thought someone might be able to relate.

You see it all the time in books and movies, two kindred spirits. The deep intimate relationships between close friends that have seen each other at their best and worse, yet love and forgive each other anyway.

Subconciously, I think I’ve been searching all my life for this type of friendship. At times, I’ve tasted a little of what this relationship looks like, but inevitably things fall apart, close friends move away, or something happens in the friendship to put distance between us.

Looking back on my life and my lack of really close intimate friends, I’m beginning to wonder whether this type of relationship really exists, or if I’m just chasing a fairytale.

I’m beginning to wonder if it’s me who keeps driving these friends away.

It seems whenever I feel close enough to someone to really expose my heart, or safe enough in a relationship to bring up something that is standing between us (aka. bugging me) , it back fires. Instead of bringing us closer as friends, I somehow drive a wedge between us which is not my intention at all.

I’m starting to figure out that maybe I’m just too intense a person. Maybe even too needy. I’d rather deal with things that are bothering me in a relationship than just constantly gloss over them. I’m big on Grace and forgiveness in my relationships, but I don’t denying my feelings. I feel, forgive and go on. Once in a while I feel secure enough in a relationship to expose my heart and my true feelings. But maybe I’ve taken it a bit too far this time. Maybe some things aren’t meant to be shared or maybe my relationships are not as close as I thought them to be. At this point in my life, I’m clueless.

Whatever the case, the result is always the same. I seem to push people away instead of bringing us closer. I seem to bring hurt with my honest feelings, instead of healing. I seem to be harsh, when all I want to do is clear the air. I’ve been confronted on my “stuff” enough over the years. It hurts, but I get over it, learn, and move on. Should I expect others to do the same?

So what do you think? Do these relationships really exist? Should I just forget it and continue in the easy surfacy friendships that are fun and rewarding in their own ways?

If something is bothering me, should I just forgive and forget, even if it happens over and over again? Should I ignore my feelings, even if they get hurt and cause damage on my side of the relationship, and spare my friend’s feelings?

And last, do you desire this type of friendship and have you found it?

Sages of the internet, let your advice flow!

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I guess those of you who read regularly have noticed my Sunday and Wordful Wednesday post have been lacking. Mainly because I’ve been lacking a Word for the Lord, mainly because I haven’t spent quality time listening. Sure I pray daily, read my Bible, though not everyday, and only listen to Christian music, but as I write this I’m staring at the book “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.”

I’m a Martha. It’s so hard for me to be a Mary. But Mary knew to do the better thing. Even in the midst of the busyness of preparing for guest, she was drawn to the Masters feet. I’m not sure why I’m not drawn to His feet, I’m drawn to do. Maybe that’s the way God made me, but I know I can learn to be a Mary.

I know I can change because there was a time I would NEVER get up earlier than 9:00 or exercise daily. Now I do both. And I’ve been doing both consistently for over a year now. It’s a habit, a way of life. Now I just need to incorporate the things I know to do that helps me sit at Jesus’ feet.

One of them is blogging about scripture or a Bible study I’m doing. Obviously I haven’t been doing that. Hopefully that will change. I need it to change. I’m ready for it to change, but also scared Martha will take over.

Are you a Mary or a Martha? Do you struggle with balancing the two?

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I have to admit. I’m behind the times a bit when it comes to the computer and other technology. Not as bad as my own mom, but I’m still lagging! After doing some research I finally got around to getting a ZUNE last year. Don’t ask me how long it took me to figure out how to get my ACFW lectures on the cool device. I recently uploaded a video I made on movie maker! Pretty cool, now I just need to remember to carry it around so I can show people photos and videos of my kids.

There are so many features on my Zune that I’m clueless about using. Like the one for podcasts. I’m not sure exactly what a podcast is. Is it just a sound recording on a blog or what? Unfortunately I’m needing to do such a recording for an upcoming Homeschool online conference I’m speaking at, but didn’t realize I might need a recording device. The ZUNE has a huge amount of memory, but no recording ability.

Then I agreed to do interviews at ICRS. The last time I did a face to face interview was over eight years ago and I took my trusty hand held cassette recorder. Hello! No way am I showing up at ICRS with one of those. That would totally date me and shout “yeah, this mom just dug out her old recorder so she can pretend to be a real journalist.” Not happening. So I figure I need a digital recorder. But they run from over $150 down to $30. And I’m not sure if they can do podcasts. Well, the $115 can do podcasts but do I really need 68 hours of recording time???

What I would really like is a digital camera that was also a digital voice recording podcast thingy. Is there such a device? Please let me know before I go out and buy something I really don’t need!!!

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Seriously!

About two weeks ago I found something on me that looked like ringworm (not a real worm, but a fungus and equally yucky to think about.) So I scanned the internet and found that applying Monistat or some other fungal cream should take care of it. After a week of such application there seemed to develop a secondary rash. I went to my doctor and he gave me a stronger cream. I applied and reapplied and the rash seemed to move in random spots. I started putting the cream on these now hivelike bumps in hopes the itch would all go away.

No such luck! Though it a dull itch, it’s an itch none the less and after Memorial Day weekend friends encouraged me to go back to my doctor. Just my luck, he’s out of town and their walk in clinic always takes HOURS. So I opt for a walk in clinic by my house and get right in. The doc looks at my rash, tells me it’s probably an allergic reaction to something and offers me a shot and some medicine. I take the shot and the prescription, but grow weary at all the medicine. Prednesone, Zyrtec, and Pepcid? Isn’t that for heartburn?

I need to interject here that I like to go as natural and healthy as I can and yesterday I cracked open Kevin Thorueau (sp) book on natural health and felt totally guilty and already like I had one foot in the grave when I read about all the things making us sick…flouride and chlorine in tap water (we filter ours, but it’s not good enough according to Kevin,) not to mention the electromagnetic stress from laptops and cell phones and people! Did I mention my mom’s been living with us for almost five months! On top of that, I shouldn’t put anything into or on my body that is made by man! Okay, so after I’m completely depressed and convinced there’s some horrid disease brewing inside of me, I throw the book against the wall (not really, but I shut it and drop it on the floor.) Then I go upstairs and slather on the medicated chalomine lotion that’s the only thing stopping the itch…which is man made and will probably kill me before my rash goes away.

Back to today. After I look at the prescription and remember all this stuff is poison in and of itself, I call my family doctor where I am still waiting for a reply. Hopefully he’ll tell me all that stuff is not necessary. Then my mom reminds me of the natural clinic where I get my whole food supplements. I hadn’t thought of going in for a rash…well, actually I had, but I was a little afraid the supplements and herbs he’d prescribe wouldn’t not zap my rash but make me wallow in natural suffering for the duration of the itch.

But now looking at that lethally loaded prescription my thoughts go back to the natural doc. Last time I told him I took my kids to the pediatrician for a cold he stared through me and said I should have come to him first. So do I go to my natural doc and claim he’s the first guy I’ve seen, or fess up I’ve already covered my body in chemical salve and got a shot to the potent medicine to help clear up a rash I could have gotten because of the initial cream I put on? Or do I fill the prescription with all the medication I think is unnecessary?

Not sure what to do. The only thing I really want to do is scratch. But isn’t that how I got into this mess in the first place?

Itch UPDATE:

Called my natural doc, couldn’t get an appointment until Friday morning. Thought I could make it, but I was itching up a storm and making myself worse last night so hubby went to the pharmacy and we opted for two out of the tree prescriptions. I feel much better this morning and tomorrow I’ll still go to the natural doc and hopefully up my immune system!

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ICRS. The International Christian Retail Show. This huge gathering of authors and publishers had been an enigma to me. Something I’ve wondered about but never experienced. This year I had three different opportunities to attend. Two would be out of our budget and would entail attending a mini conference. One other opportunity won’t cost me a dime. I could go as media and set up interviews with people like Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, James Scott Bell, etc.

Before I recieved the list of interviewees I had resolved not to go. Though I have family living in Orlando and thought about making it a family vacation, that would mean two days of driving and with the gas being so high, I didn’t want to do it. Plus, we just went to Disney World last year. So I was resigned to skip this event and vacation closer to home.

Then I got the list of attendees and I started to drool! What an incredible opportunity to meet authors, pick their brains, and bring back their answers to my Writer…Interrupted readers. It’s so tempting. And there’s still time. But I’m not sure what to do.

What do you think? If you had this opportunity, what would you do?

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Check out my post! It’s an oldie, but goodie!

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Chris made an interesting observation while he was on a weekend field trip with his junior high. “I’m really nice when I’m away from home.”

At home Chris is characterized by being bossy, nit-picky, and sometimes just plain nasty with his siblings, especially the two that rub him the wrong way.

I can relate to Chris’ words because I feel and act the same way. Within the walls of my home I tend to be bossy (ask my hubby), nit-picky, and sometimes just plain nasty. Though I don’t want to be this way, and know it is wrong, more times than I care to admit my flesh takes over. It’s like what the apostle Paul said, the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Growing up in a divorced, dysfunctional home, I learned to take care of myself and protect myself emotionally. When I sensed criticism or an attack coming my way, I immediately put on my armor, drew my sword and started swinging. My choleric/melancholy (oftentimes sarcastic) personality didn’t help things either. When I gave my life to Christ at fifteen, I did change some. I eased up on the sarcasm, and didn’t hang out with my partying friends, but in my home I still battled a critical mother and a sister who I knew was sent straight from the pit of hell to torture me.

College was where I felt a reprieve. To date it’s the happiest time of my life. I had confidence, and oozed joy soaking up the love and acceptance from new friends and Godly teachers. Though I did go through emotional stresses and pain, in college I was the best me I could be. Then I got married and all the ugliness of my childhood surfaced again.

Sixteen years and four kids later, and I feel I’m probably at my worst. Selfishness rears it’s ugly little head every day in subtle ways and not just in me. I’m sure part of Chris’ problem has been modeled by me and the other part is that he is sooo much like me.

I think sometime over the years our family got lazy and started thinking that a family/marriage is all about what you can get out of it, not what you can give. I know in my heart a family should be giving more than taking, but when it’s caught in the whirlwind of chaos, it’s so hard to switch directions. All our good intentions get blindsided or distracted. And even though I know I can’t do this family thing right without Jesus, he’s usually consulted on matters after the fact.

Last night I had a talk with hubby about how I think our parenting has turned into damage control and not really disciplining. I have all these plans to change that, to change my family, to change me…but I need the Lord’s help!

I can so relate to Chris’ revelation. It’s easier to be nice when you’re away from family. I don’t like that reality and I want it to change. I want my whole family to change the way they treat each other and I know that it starts with me. Or rather it starts with Jesus. For the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!

What things does your family do to keep the nasties away?

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Did you ever feel like you have so much to do you don’t know where to start? That you’re being stretched like Mrs. Incredible and are about to snap?

Well that’s how I feel right now! I’m trying to finish edits on my WIP in the midst of scheduling doctors appointments, acquiring donations for my kids school fundraiser for THREE classes, on top of planning activities for this fundraiser (Americana Day) and setting up displays for two of these classes, and rewriting a play for one, typing out my recipes for a cook book, and getting performers to come and that’s not even considering all the work it will take to decorate the rooms. Tomorrow I have a meeting for one of the class projects that I haven’t even begun work on. The good news is that I delegated a lot of the work already, but my train wreck of a house has been stressing me out for months, but I just keep stepping over the toys and clutter, and now my husband informed me over Spring break my son wants a sleep over birthday party! ARGH!

If my mom wasn’t staying with me the laundry wouldn’t be getting done and neither would most of the cooking. She’s really been helpful in cooking and chopping veggies, so I feel healthier, physically, I’m just drained mentally. I’m surrounded by clutter and don’t know where to start, and I still have a list of people to call for other various meetings and a doctor appointment to take my mother to tomorrow!

My hubby doesn’t understand that I don’t want kids in this house because every where I turn there’s either kid clutter, mom (my mom) clutter, year old homeschool clutter, and WIP work cluttering my desk. I really wanted this spring break to be a time I could declutter my home and now I may have to be entertaining kids! ARGH! Feeling like a pirate here!

Hubby says I shouldn’t worry, and not to stress, but he has no clue how much needs to be done, and I don’t want to be pressured into doing it and then have two days full of noisy boys in my home. I really don’t want to have a sleepover in this house at all. At first it was going to be at a hotel. I’m not sure why it changed, but I really can’t deal with it right now. I have too much going on, too much to worry about, and too much stress!

Thanks for listening. We now return to your regularly posted blog…

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Today at church our pastor spoke about how pain isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a God given response to something very wrong in our bodies. Without pain a person might not go to the doctor. They might not even know they’re sick until it’s too late!

It’s the same with God. Sometimes God can use pain (not cause it) in our lives to draw us closer to him. Think about the last time you really called out to God. Really sat at his feet, in his presence. What was your motivation?

Pain? Whether emotional or physical, pain draws us to God.

For me, it seems like the times I’m in the most pain are the times I reach out and feel God the most. I wish it weren’t so, but it’s also the time my spirit is open to allowing God to work in me.

How about you?

Without the pain we may not call on the Great Physician. Without the pain, there might not be healing! Are you ready to hurt a little?

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In my last whine, I mentioned that I got really mad at hubby. If I hadn’t have had a rough time with my teen earlier that day, I probably could have handled the situation better, but I didn’t. Though to my credit, I didn’t engage in my ritualistic hip reaction of anger. Instead, I internalized my feelings and let him “know” how I felt in a more biting than loving way.

It’s so petty, I’m almost embarrassed to share it, but it’s not the act that hurts as much as the lack of consideration. Before I share I really need to confess I do similar things. In fact, it seems our parenting resembles a WWF tag team than a partnership. While one parent is doing the parenting thing the other one is usually chillin’. I am soooo guilty of this and often let the bed time routine fall to my hubby so I can chill online, so I really shouldn’t even be complaining, but…

I did have a whole paragraph explaining what happened which revolved around our WWF tag team parenting style, but after I talked with hubby I realized it was more a lack of communication than a lack of consideration. So I’m choosing to let it go which is HUGE considering I’m the one who likes to beat issues to death.

God’s been nudging my heart in areas of my parenting and marriage, and it’s a painful and a lonely road to walk, but it’s a good road. A necessary road. I’m just hoping that finally, this is the break through I need in my family and that I won’t stray from the path. That the same message God is speaking to me through a Bible study, and two separate unrelated books, sticks!

I’m ready to cross over into the Promised Land. I’m ready to walk in freedom, and I’m ready to walk through the desert alone (with God) to get there!

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family stuff is going pretty smoothly so I don’t have much to whine about!:)

Ha!

Today was a really rough day. Just when I thought I was enjoying my teen (with minor exceptions to normal moodiness,) he pushed me back over the edge! Unfortunately my moms says he’s a lot like me at his age. Except I wasn’t as disrespectful as he is. Maybe because deep down we do have a good talking relationship, and he feels he can “share.” Maybe it’s because he’s just thick headed and always thinks he’s right!

It started last night. He did something he thought was justified because it prevented his little sister from invading his privacy. When I asked him to apologize he said, “No, I didn’t do anything wrong.” I disagreed with him and asked him apologize again. He refused again and justified his “wrong” behavior. We went back a forth for about a minute, but instead of engaging in a tirade, I took away his game time with weekend and walked away…angry and disappointed. He had a typical outburst of something to the effect of “Great! No matter what I do you take away my PS2 time.”

Today the subject of his disobedience/defiance/rebellion came up again. He said he’s standing by what’s right, no matter what and it doesn’t matter if I take something away because I’m going to take it away anyway and there’s nothing more that really matters to him.

We talked some more about his disrespect, but he doesn’t see it. He thinks he’s right, and I tried to tell him, that was fine to think he was right, but his choices had consequences, and he had to be willing to live with them. He still doesn’t get it and thinks I’m out to ruin his life. (Doesn’t every teenager?) But what really gets me, what really hurts and brings me to tears is the disrespect and the fact I don’t know what to do about it.

We talked some more and both settled down. I shared my heart about some things, and we ended on a good note. But not a repentive one.

Later his attitude seemed to change, and he came down happy and silly and fun again. But still no apology to me or his sister. So I’m not sure what to do? Do I force him into submission? (Never worked for me as a child or adult.) Do I let it go? Or do I address the issue again?

You know, I think I already know the answer. I should pray. But it’s so hard to do ONLY that. I know I need to let the Holy Spirit do the work. He’s done his job in the past when I let him, but it’s so hard because it hurts so much not only for myself, but I hurt for my son.

To top off this lousy night, I got really made at hubby…but I’ll save that for another post!

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It’s 4 am in the morning, that’s right 4 am, and I would have been to bed hours ago after a pretty good writing session, but I’ve been searching for an illusive version to my WIP. I keep multiply copies on my computer, SAVING AS so I can have old versions of my WIP. I back up through a Yahoo group, Mozy and gmail and no where can I find the version where I rewrote the ending! I know I wrote it AFTER ACFW because I had a paid critique, and I had great ideas on how to up the stakes. I know I really wrote it! I even think someone might have critiqued it for me.

It was 180 degrees from what I originally wrote, and I don’t think I can muster up the energy to rewrite it and rewrite it as well, so please pray! I’m only 20 pages from the end, and I was getting my writing second wind, now I’m dead in the water (cliche alert) and through it all I have such a peace. No anxiety rolling in my belly (Maybe it’s the late hour, and I’m numb!)

I checked one of my flash drives, there’s a slight chance it could be on another one. But I really have no idea what could have happened to this version. The only thing I can think of is when I wrote it, it didn’t get saved or my computer died and it never got recovered.

This is really not a good thing to happen right now because I’m so far from being finished, and I’m losing steam! I really, really, really, don’t want to rewrite these chapters, and if I have to, I’m not sure when I’m have the mental energy! Definitely not tomorrow! I need some sleep!

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Right now I’m over committed and I seem to be taking on new projects every moment. Like my willingness to be write some news articles for my kids’ school website and newly developed newsletter that I’m NOT in charge of, but I’m on the committee.

Also on the agenda for this week is teaching writing to my son’s 2nd grade class for twenty minutes two days this week, meeting with my other son’s 5th grade teacher to help with a class project, attending my daughter’s field trip on Thursday (though I might get my mom to go on that one! Speaking of mom, she’s been living in my son’s bedroom for two weeks now, with a broken arm, but that’s a story for another time.)

What else is on the agenda this week. Tomorrow is our school’s open house and when I found out it was rather disorganized I volunteered to buy snacks and be available for talking with perspective parents. And after teaching my son’s class on Friday I have to run my daughter to a birthday party and then go back and pick up my boys from school, not to mention all the usual stuff I do. It’s weeks like these I wonder if homeschooling is less work!

Okay, going back under. I still have to find some photos from several field trips so I can  give them to the content editor of our school’s website. It’s a good thing I’ve got writer’s block because there’ no time to write this week!.

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There’s a lot of things I need to reevaluate in my life. I sort of skipped the New Year’s Resolution/goal setting thing, and it’s time I take a real hard look at some of the areas in my life which have gotten out of balanced.

Some of it is the same old, same old…too much time on the computer. My skewed God, family, work priorities.

Some of it is new like I’ve been working out faithfully for 2 years and haven’t lost hardly anything. Obviously something has to change, and I need to step it up a notch or two.

Then there’s all the new responsibilities I’ve taken on this year. ACFW Chapter President, Homeroom mom at school, Communications committee at school, more ACFW stuff and my new venture with Writer…Interrupted and a book club a church. I need to set some sort of schedule to stay sane!

And then there’s my writing. I’ve totally lost my steam, and I’ve never felt that before. Maybe it’s a phase, but I’m getting pretty weary on this journey.

That’s all I’ve got today. A bunch of questions and not many answers. Nothing new here!

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I know this is Sunday, and I should be posting on faith, but I’m there’s a lot of stuff going on in my brain related to faith and doctrine and such and it’s all because of this. So, until I sort it all out, here’s another taste of what I’m dealing with…

I’m 40 pages from the end of my first edits, and I don’t feel like writing.

It’s really a first for me, the not feeling like writing part (and 50 pages from my first edits.) I’ve been feeling this way for weeks now.

The interruptions are great today, my husband is out running errands and even when I told my kids they’d be allowed unlimited game time and stressed to them the importance of mommy working today, I’m still being interrupted every 15 minutes. My 13 year old is the biggest culprit as he polices his younger siblings (who were doing very well without him) and tells me of their littlest infractions.

I’m so close and yet so far, growing very weary in this writing journey and counting the days, weeks, months when this WIP will be over, submitted, and I can take a break. I’m contemplating taking a really LOOONG break from writing if nothing comes of this WIP. The sacrifices I’m making in my family life sometimes just don’t seem worth it if this writing gig is going nowhere.

I know I need to reevaluate my writing schedule, or lack of schedule, and I may feel different about this later, but until then {SIGH} back to writing…

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I’m talking about emails. I’ve literally spent hours at the computer answering one email after another, searching on blogs, then back to emails! The insanity has to stop! I waste too much time waiting for that email to come in. The one I just have to answer right away. I did it again this morning, despite my goal of not sitting at the computer. Of course I had to write a few blog posts, but I should have quit there. Instead I checked my email.

This next week I’m seriously thinking about an email plan. What are your secrets to taming the email monster?

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Jesus said we live in an opposite world. Just one glance at Luke 6 verses 20-38 proves it. Imagine reading these words for the very first time…

20…”Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.

23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.

25 “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.

For the weak, poor and lowly, it sure gives us a lot of hope. But how about the next set of verses.

27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29 “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

30 “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

Wow! Talk about revolutionary thinking. Can you imagine Jesus preaching this during the reign of the Romans. The very group of people who persecuted and kept the Jews in a form of slavery. If a Roman soldier demanded something from you, you had to give it to him. But you didn’t have to like it. Jesus is challenging the Jews to go beyond what is required. To go above what is expected and give with a happy heart. Even today that is a hard thing to do.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

33 “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.

35 “But love your enemies, **( surely Jesus didn’t mean terror*sts) and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

Another doosy of a commandment!

38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Opposite world! Then and now! I don’t know about you, but that last line really gets me.

What are some real life opposite world examples you see in your own life? Let’s get a discussion going!

**my own insertion into the text

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How many times have you heard that one? From your spouse, or (dare I confess) children? I mean, it’s not like I’m watching Soap Operas, or Oprah, or Dr. Phil all day (did the rounds for a season when my my boys were little) or talking on the phone all day long. I rarely talk on the phone at all! In fact, I prefer to email. It’s quicker and more efficient. There’s nothing more aggravating than playing phone tag, or listening to someone jabber away as you try and find a place to nicely cut them off.

So, I say what’s the big deal with this computer thing? It’s not like I’m doing anything illegal or inappropriate on the net, though I guess shopping amazon and ebay could border on addictive, but hey, at least I’m saving money on gas, and shipping on occasion!

Okay, I agree the computer has a black hole affect on me. I tell myself I’m just going to check email, then it sucks me in to updating my blogs and visiting other blogs and websites and checking email again, until I glance at the clock and it’s been three hours (in the afternoon while the kids are either still at school or busy vegging in front of the TV or doing homework.)

I admit, I’m not as bad as I used to be, I spend more time just playing with my kids, and cooking and doing laundry, but there’s always room for improvement. I find if I don’t get on in the morning I get more things done. As soon as I hit that on button, I’m a goner.

I’m learning to be more productive on the computer as well. I rarely visit the network community sites any more like Facebook (So if you’ve thrown a sheep at me, you’ll be waiting a while before I retaliate) or Shoutlife. Instead, I’m trying to write and edit more. Which is a good thing! Right?

But even that can get out of hand because when I write past 5:00 on my non-writing days, and hear the garage door open and there’s not food in the oven I know I better jump off the computer or I’m busted. And that feeling of getting “caught” makes me realize something is wrong and that I need to pull back, take a break and reevaluate how much time I really spend online!

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Our power came back on Tuesday around 5 pm, so we really didn’t suffer much especially thanks to our friend’s generator, though heating up leftovers in the crockpot was an experience.

Here’s a recap…Sunday Afternoon The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was canceled because power went out at the theatre.

Sunday, middle of the night, we lost power. Then we watched everything ice over on Monday.

This is a toy box the boys use when they play air soft.

It rained all day and we (hubby and Chris) tried to save these trees by shaking off the ice, but later we heard several cracks…

First tree

Second tree

Third tree…. The front yard tree tried to hang on…

but <CRACK> it didn’t make it!

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My area was hit hard with an ice storm Sunday. We lost power middle of the night Sunday as did MANY people in our area. It’s Tuesday. There’s still now power. No school and I managed to find a very crowded coffee shop that still has power. We have three downed trees, but everywhere there are trees down and traffic lights not working.

My husband has power at his office and we were able to borrow a generator from a friend who’s spending the holidays with family out of state. Still the generator is only on for an hour or two at a time and only to heat up the house and keep the freezer and frig going. (We just bought half a cow and our upright freezer is stocked.)

We have a fire place, but no way to cook food. When it stops raining we’ll be grilling. The road are great so things could be worse and today I’m making a Walmart run. I feel a little like the family in Terri Blackstock’s Last Light. It’s a little inconvenient but I know we have it better than most and all our neighbors are looking out for each other. Still we could use your prayers!

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