The Beauty of Bellingrath

Spring is here in Lower Alabama, and it is lovely in all its manifestations. I love going to Bellingrath each spring to try to catch the azaleas, and just to see the beautiful blooms as the gardens awaken. Ruth, Mac and I went with Jen and sweet baby Isabelle, and we had a really good time walking the paths. There is so much to enjoy with all senses, especially for children. We found polliwogs, frogs, fish, turtles, birds, fountains, and of course blooming things everywhere. Ruthie loved collecting fallen camellias, and gazing at the mermaid fountain (she has a special split fin.) She wants to be a mermaid when she grows up. Mac ended up covered in mud, from joyfully exploring every fountain and pond, and he stepped into the large lake with both feet, before I could stop him. He was a trooper though, and walked the rest of the way with completely wet and algae covered feet. Isabelle was a sweetheart, and really a good sport as we kept yanking her in and out of her cozy stroller for various photo opportunities. I love the one of her in the green, green grass (as it was St. Patty's day). Check out Jen's blog for more pictures of our fun morning.

Little Painters

We recently painted birdhouses- the kids loved it. They were so intent on their painting- even Mac, who I wasn't sure about. Ruth also painted a jewelry box that she had made at Lowe's in February for her friend Paige's birthday party. (If your children like making things they should check out the projects at your local Lowe's. They are free!)

New Haircut

Here is Ruthie's latest haircut (about a month ago). We love it! We had "girl time" together and got our hair done. I will put a picture of mine when I get a picture of myself that is decent. I decided to color all my gray and so I got a dye job. It is not that noticeable except to me! I do hate sitting there while it "processes." I felt like I was sitting in hell under that dryer. It burns! It burns!

Let Me Sing the Unsung

(This is an editorial I wrote that was published Sunday in my local paper. I was very excited to be able to honor my mother in this way, and also bring exposure to the Women's Resource Centers around our area.)

I have long admired my mother. When some talk of heroes I think of her. You will never see her face on a morning talk show. You will never see an article in your local newspaper featuring her hard work and faithfulness to her mission. She will never sit on Oprah's couch with a caption under her face and a blurb about her selflessness and the lives she has helped save. A presidential award will never be bestowed on her for standing up for the helpless, the silent victims of an unacknowledged war. Donations from yogurt companies, flower companies, clothing companies, and grocery stores will never pour in for her cause. Yet she labors. Yet she weeps. Yet she remains uncomplaining, not seeking glory. Yet she strives day in and day out.

Her battlefield is one of the Women's Resource Centers (formerly known as Crisis Pregnancy Centers) on the Gulf Coast. She strives to help women who are making one of the biggest decisions in their lives, a decision that will impact them every day for the rest of their lives. She longs to show them truth about the life growing within them. She provides for their practical needs, and offers a confidential, listening ear in the midst of their turmoil. She not only strives for the lives of the unborn children, but for the lives of the women who must choose- she works for their hope of a fulfilling future.

I have watched her struggles. I have seen her heart over the years as she has wept for these babies who have no voice. I have seen her heartbreak over the lives of the young mothers-to-be (or mothers-not-to-be), women suffering from abuse or violence or bad decisions. I have sensed the exhaustion in her voice after a day of counseling and listening and hearing the same stories over and over again. I have rejoiced with her over the pictures of the babies that are born out of these struggles, not necessarily to an easy life, but to life. I have smiled at my mother's joy as she held one of the precious lives in her arms and was glad.

These centers are quiet in the corners of America, but they are mighty. The women who work and volunteer are women who love life; some have made past decisions that have led to years of pain and regret, and they desire to save other women from this pain they have known. Some have fought the heartbreak of infertility, love adoption, and long for each unborn baby to find a loving home. They are all dedicated to life and they give themselves, their time and money and resources to the war for the souls of the mothers and the lives of the children.

My mother works long hours at the center, and she has helped it grow from a place where once only free pregnancy tests and baby clothes were offered to a place where ultrasounds are performed by a team of medical professionals, so the women can see the tiny being within- the pulsing heartbeat at six weeks, the little limbs being formed around seven or eight weeks, and later yawning and stretching as he or she grows and develops in secret. It is hard to deny the life that exists when you can see it moving on the ultrasound screen. Yet there are so many who continue to decry life, to say women like my mother are misinformed, and without a valid cause.

Why is my mother unsung? Why is her cause unacceptable to the mainstream media and popular culture? Why does she not win cruises and spa treatments for her unflagging labor in saving lives? Why do celebrities not sit at press conferences with serious faces and donate millions to rescue these millions? Simply because life inside the womb is not accepted as life. Because it is often inconvenient and unpopular to say that life begins at conception and should be protected. It forces people to ask hard questions, and face the consequences of their actions by making difficult, often painful decisions.

What are the acceptable causes? Starving children in Africa are clearly alive and in need of saving. We see their hurting faces and our hearts break and we long to rescue them. Women dying of breast cancer are clearly alive and in need of saving. They are our mothers and sisters and friends, suffering, and in need of a cure. Endangered whales and turtles are clearly alive and in need of saving. We see the newsfeed on CNN of the whales trapped in the shallows, dying unless the rescuers can return them to deep water in time. These are causes that are widely broadcast and that we can easily support, causes with many popular and vociferous spokespeople. If you save some of these, and please, please do, you will be lauded and feted. But if you say there is life in the womb, clearly, and that you want to protect it, you will be ignored, quieted and left alone to fight for your cause. These little lives are ignored because they are inconvenient, voiceless and unseen.

So this day I sing the unsung- my mother and those who labor alongside her, and ultimately the tiny lives who cannot sing for themselves. May we as a nation open our eyes, may we as a city open our arms, and may we as individuals open our hearts to these tiny ones and the women struggling to choose. May they choose what is right, though it may not necessarily be convenient, and may we come alongside them, through a Women’s Resource Center or just as a neighbor and fellow citizen and lift up their weary arms, dry their tears and offer them hope.

Poor Jay!

The man needs a Snuggie! Look how miserable he is! How sad! See how the blanket slips off his shoulder as he reaches for the remote?

Military Mardi Gras Ball 2009

Well, it's that time of year again. The time when people knock each other down for plastic beads, squashed moon pies, cheap plastic cups and crusty teddy bears- Mardi Gras in Mobile! Jay and I enjoy the Military Ball every year, and this year I was able to squeeze myself and my volleyball into last year's dress! That was priceless, let me tell you. I got some funny looks- I guess pregos don't usually go to balls. The sit down dinner was nice, and it is just fun to get dressed up perty now and then. This year there was a cardboard Coastie there- Bob, and I was lucky enough to get my picture with him. His wife said he wanted to come but was not able, so she brought the cardboard version of him. I am glad I had real Jay with me. He is now a Lieutenant JG, and really stays busy working on CG duties despite the fact that he is a Reservist. I am proud of his service to our country, and I hope he continues to succeed in it and enjoy it.

Hodgepodge's Book Selections of the Month- February

This month I have chosen two books by a wonderful author, John S. Goodall, a painter who actually painted portraits of England's royal family and began creating children's books for his daughter and granddaughter. His books have wonderful watercolor illustrations, but no words. Some people might be intimidated by the idea of having to tell the story on your own, but I think it is a really good exercise for one's brain. It is also a good way to teach your child how to be imaginative as they can contribute as the story unfolds. Goodall alternates full and half pages, which is another interesting thing about these charming little books.

We own The Midnight Adventures of Kelly, Dot, and Esmeralda, which tells the story of two toys and a mouse who jump through a painting on their toy shelf and go on an exciting, and harrowing adventure. We also have Shrewbettina's Birthday, about a sweet little shrew lady who throws a party for her friends on her birthday. The two we discovered at the library are The Surprise Picnic, and Naughty Nancy. The Surprise Picnic is my favorite and it unfolds the tale of a mother cat and her two kittens who go on a picnic on a sunny day, which turns into a fiasco but ends happily. In Naughty Nancy, the title character is a little girl mouse who gets into mischief on her older sister's wedding day, including stowing away in her honeymoon trunk! Ruthie really loves these books, and we hope we can find more on our next trip to the library. Enjoy!

(The publisher's website for Goodall's books is www.simonsayskids.com.)

Ruthie's 4th Birthday

This year Ruthie had an all-girls Princess Tea Party at our house. (This was back in January, but of course I am just now posting this.) It was so much fun to have our friends and cousins over- the girls played "Pretty, Pretty Princess" and had "tea" (pink lemonade actually) from tiny little polka-dot tea cups. Even baby Victoria was a princess (see second picture with my mom holding her). I love the picture of Paige sipping her tea, and wearing her princess hat (third pic). The bottom picture shows Becca, Paige, Bailey, Ruthie, and Annabelle decked out in their princess dresses.

I have to say " I can't believe Ruthie is four," because it is really true. She is so grown-up, independent, smart and beautiful. She loves reading, has books memorized and "reads" them to Mac. She is now really in to role-playing, like playing Hospital, or Nutcracker, or Library, and we dress up and imagine every day. Her favorite foods are chips and salsa, tacos, and she still loves good old plain avocado. Ruthie is really a girly-girl, and wants to wear a dress every day. Some of my favorite recent quotes,

"Mac, I think you're so cute I want to marry you. But I can't and that makes me so sad."

"Daddy I see hairs up in your nose. They look like rat whiskers."

She tells us stories too, and a recent one involved two princesses named Joshua and Syrup and they got married (to two princes) and had babies and lived happily ever after.

Ruthie is a joy, and I love watching her grow and learn and love and live life so freely. Our greatest prayer is for her heart, that she would love Jesus above all else and follow him. She has a compassionate heart, and I can see the Lord at work in her.

28 weeks

Go Jags!

Last week Ashley, Charlene and I took four of our friends from Trinity Gardens to a Lady Jags basketball game at the Mitchell Center. All three of us adults are alumni, so we sat there like old people and remembered "those good ole college days." KiKi, Maya, Bria and Priscilla were not sure what to make of our silliness and laughter, but I think they enjoyed getting to go to the game too. Southpaw, who was really the most outgoing Jaguar I have ever met, even came to take a picture with us. It really was fun, and USA beat Troy, Ha! My only regrets were that I had only enough cash for a bottle of water and not one of those huge yummy soft pretzels with pebble-sized grains of salt and spicy mustard on it, and that I didn't get a free t-shirt. (We did get a free car wash, which is always useful.) It was also fun to see the huge picture on the Mitchell Center wall of a ton of us old students (including some down from Troy for a visit) at a game years ago. Made me feel young again.

The baring of my soul, and telling of my most appalling secrets

Piles

I have trouble with piles. Especially paper and book piles. Here is my bedside table. It is more like a homeless shelter for various publications. It is terrible. You can all shake your heads ruefully and sigh with me.

Hodgepodge's Children's Book Selections of the Month

I am a bibliophile. I love books. I wish I could read as much as I used to, but one of my joys is passing on this love of reading to my children. One of our favorite things is our monthly trip to the library, where we can pick and choose wonderful children's books to take home and enjoy. We end up meeting so many fun characters, and learning so many new things that we often re-check out our favorites, or buy them somewhere so we can keep them at our house permanently. I have a far-fetched dream of owning a children's book store, and a more realistic dream of getting my Masters in Library Science and becoming a children's librarian. So I thought I would start sharing some of my favorite books, so those of you with children can enjoy them too. Snuggle up with your babies and read till you're hoarse!

My first selection is Mole and the Baby Bird by Marjorie Newman, illustrated by Patrick Benson. It is the story of a little mole who finds a wild bird and wants to keep it as a pet. He learns how loving something means letting go, a cliche, but true. This story is precious, with detailed illustrations and simple text. I really almost cry when I read it- it is so poignant somehow. This is one of our re-check out favorites.

My second selection is BooBoo by Olivier Dunrea. This is the tale of a little blue gosling who likes to eat. My children love BooBoo, especially when she swallows a bubble and burps and burps. Dunrea has a whole series of books about little goslings (Gossie, Gertie, Peedie) several of which we own and love and reread often.

(If the links don't work, just go to amazon.com and search. I just wanted to let you see the covers of the books.)

Winter Poems

I meant to share a Christmas poem nearer to Christmas, and then I found a collection of winter poems, so I have put some here for your enjoyment. I hope you too, like the shepherd, are pierced by the beauty you see around you- how it stirs your soul. And if you say "what beauty around me?" look, as Sara Teasdale did, and " you will find it, it is not far..."



Night

Stars over snow,
And in the west a planet
Swinging below a star-
Look for a lovely thing and you will find it,
It is not far-
It never will be far.

--Sara Teasdale


I Heard a Bird Sing

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember:
"We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

--Oliver Herford


The Sheep Herd

I am a shepherd- I have hated
The smell of damp sheep in the rain,
The pain
Of clouted shoes on weary feet,
The silly barking of watchdogs in the night,
The blinding light
Of summer suns on hillsides without shade.
Nor anything I did not wish was not
From hoar-frost on the meadow grass
To dizzy stars that blinked on stupidly and bright.

Last night
I went with other men who tended sheep
Over to Bethlehem to see-
We did not know just what we'd come to see
Who'd followed up a cloud of singing wings.
Until we came to where a young girl held
A little baby on her lap and smiled.

She made me think of flowers,
White flowers on long stems and blue night skies.
Nothing happened-
But today
I have been shaken with the joy
Of seeing hoar-frost wings
Atilt upon tall grasses; the sun
Upon the sheep, making their gray backs white
And silvery
Has hurt me with its beauty, and I heard
The sound of the barking watchdogs break
The tolling bells against the quiet hills.

--Sister Mariella

Explanation

That post entitled "We wish you a Mackie Christmas" is supposed to be a video. I've tried to get it to repost, but I guess it is too big of a file, or something. I will keep trying because it is hilarious.

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Mackie Christmas!

Holy ____! Where's the Tylenol?

So our Christmas tree fell over yesterday. It was very tragic, but I am so glad no little children were forever traumatized, or physically hurt by a huge spikey tree landing on them. We lost about 6 or 7 ornaments, including one of my grandmother's hand-blown glass balls, and one of Jay's grandmother's glass bells, but I was able to salvage several of the other slightly broken ornaments. We were thankful for our shop-vac, which was amazing at cleaning up the equivalent of a pine forest floor from our carpet. And we got to decorate our tree again once it was back on it's feet! And I get to rewrap half of the presents that were soaking wet, further enhancing my holiday spirit! I do still love my Christmas tree, named Spike, (because his needles are wicked sharp) and I am thankful for his resurrection.

Speaking of third babies

This was sent to me as an email and I thought it was very insightful. Funny stuff.


Pregnancy:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
_____________________________________________________
Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
______________________________________________________
The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?
______________________________________________________
Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, A frown--you pick up the baby
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to Rewind the mechanical swing.
______________________________________________________
Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.
______________________________________________________
Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.
_______________________________________________________
Activities
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.
______________________________________________________
Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
______________________________________________________
At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children
______________________________________________________
Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!
______________________________________________________

Oh yeah we're having a boy

So you can tell this is my third baby. Not that I'm not super excited about this one, but you know how it is with the first baby- I would probably have posted ultrasound pics on the day of my appointment announcing the gender for all to read. Weeeeelll, I found out about 3 weeks ago- it's a boy! We're very, very excited. Ruthie was a little sad because she had her heart set on a baby sister, but we've been pumping her up with the Baby Moses, Baby Jesus thing, (her two favorite babies of all time) and she is now thinking up fun names for baby bro, like Bawookus, or Nugget, or Sith. I tried to explain that Sith is actually the name of the Dark Side in Star Wars, but she really just likes Sith. I think she combined Sid and Seth. Very creative, she is.

Keeping the Mullet Alive: the next generation

As seen at the Greater Gulf State Fair in October 2008. As Darth Vader would say, " Impressive."

Blue Angels' Homecoming Show

One of my favorite events on the Gulf Coast every year is the Blue Angels' Homecoming Show at Pensacola NAS. This year it finally worked out so I could take the kids, but not Jay. So we took a picture by the Albatross to give a shout out to the the Coast Guard. The extreme loudness caused some tears, especially from stubborn 2 year olds who refused to wear ear-plugs. Eventually he let me put them in for him, and he could enjoy it more. The kids loved sitting in various air craft and vehicles, such as the Hummer, a fire truck, and some large Air Force planes. My favorite was the Blue Angel that we climbed up in. Seriously I could hear the Top Gun anthem singing and I felt the need, the need for speed. I have a love for Naval Aviation because my Dad was a Naval Aviator- we got a picture of 4 of his 5 grandkids with one of the planes he flew, the A-4 Skyhawk. So great weather, ear-plugs, and those jumpy slide thingies made for a fun but tiring day on the tarmac, and maybe we'll make it next year. And maybe I'll have to watch Top Gun again soon to get my( highly inaccurate portrayal of) Naval Aviation fix. It has nothing to do with the volleyball scene. Seriously, sweaty guys playing sand volleyball in jeans? Let's get real. Real chafed.

Mac is Two!

November 14th Mac turned two, and we had a little party for him the weekend before. It was a lovely fall day and we played at the park with cousins and friends, ate cupcakes, and celebrated Mac. He is a delightful little boy- Jay and I are constantly marveling at how sweet and smiley and fun he is, and such a boy in so many ways. He loves wrestling, jumping, running around, reading books, coloring, snuggling, giving hugs, talking, and playing with his sister. He hates doctor's visits, hair cuts, fingernail trimming, and most vegetables. Mac is a wonderful gift to our family and we love him to pieces.

Mac and Ruthie

A Fair is a Carnival

"A fair is a carnival. It has nothing to do with life." So says a wise woman when her children whine, "that's not fair!" We went to the fair back in October, and it was lots of fun for me and the kids. ( Jay was in shock over the cost of it all.) Ruthie has been wanting to go since we have been reading Charlotte's Web, and she loved every minute of it. We only saw one pig, and it was a mommy, so we pretended it was Wilbur's mommy. Mac loved the tractor displays and all the animals, including the pig races we got to see. I liked seeing a baby cow nurse on it's mommy, but my favorite was the Ferris wheel and the cotton candy. I love cotton candy. I think Jay did enjoy the corn dog that was the size of my whole arm. And he got to ride the elephant and the bumble bee with Ruthie! It was so fun to see it all from my 3 year old's perspective, and watch her "live a dream" so to speak. So we'll save up for next year. Maybe a home equity loan or something would cover it.

Supervise Me

The Scene: I am on the computer, and Jay and Mac are wrestling, romping on the bed beside me. Ruthie wants to join them so she says:

R: How come Mackie can jump and play on the bed?
J: Because I'm supervising him.
R: I want you to supervise me! (running to the bed and climbing up)
J: Do you know what "supervise" means?
R: It means tackle!

Flashback

Saturday we hosted a 30th birthday party for Jen McShea- 80s themed. Happy Bday JEN!!! It was lots o' fun- and I think Jen won for the outfit category- check out the blue silk high heels and off the shoulder hot pink tunic shirt. Bodacious. Jay got to demonstrate his awesome Nintendo skills- on his original 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System. I guess I won the big hair category, and I am totally ready for big hair to be back because it is really what my hair was born to do. And it took only a couple minutes! You can't tell from the picture, but Jay's hair was spiked to perfection. And Brandon pegged his jeans to perfection. Way to go everyone! (Check out Jen's website when she dccides to post some of her pics, they're probably better.) Love ya, Jen!

Ok, let's be positive here

I haven't thrown up in 2 days!
I made it to 10 weeks! Only six or seven more weeks of perpetual stomach virus!
Third pregnancy means I am already showing! Now people will know I'm pregnant!
I get to eat like a hobbit...breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, tea time, lunch, etc.


I am exercising my thankful muscles because they are struggling these days. I know what I should be thinking and saying, but it is certainly a fight against my fleshiness. Sometimes I really just want to wallow in misery. I just need Jesus that's all.

Check out that uterus!

Weddings, Mr. T, and Cheese- How's That for a Hodgepodge?

Lower Alabama Caviar

This recipe is from LuLu's restaurant, the famous one owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister Lucy. I risked my life and went undercover, broke in to the restaurant at night and stole it from their computer. I barely survived because they had this mean Rottweiler that bit a chunk out of my leg, but I guess that satisfied him so he stopped attacking me and I dragged myself out to my car. I had to patch up my leg myself because at a hospital I would only have been questioned and then promptly arrested. Unless I pulled a Jack Bauer and hit my doctor with a syringe full of something that would knock him out and I could steal his clothes and sneak out of the hospital, hijack a Suburban and arrive safely at home in time to feed the kids breakfast. So really, ya'll enjoy. ( I only put that ya'll in there because this is LOWER ALABAMA caviar.) Normally I would say you guys.

This recipe is a crowd pleasah.

Dressing:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar (this is always a great start in my book)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (that's EVOO for you Rachael Ray fans)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Dip:
4 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Rinse and drain peas well, place in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and dressing. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers.

This can also be used as a garnish over everything from broiled fish to enchiladas. (So says the Mobile Press Register Food Guy) I am inclined to believe him.

It is a wonderful, refreshing dip for summertime. Enjoy!

Inside my head

August 1
Naptime.
My mind is racing, cluttered with so many thoughts, wishes, lists, ideas and hopes.
-Sweep the floor, it is bad.
-Those **&%#@ ants are back!
Ok I want to spend time with God. My chair awaits.
-Remember to call Katie.
-Ask Jay, don't forget to ask Jay about Sat. night.
-Diapers; add diapers to the list. And eggs.
-I wonder if Jen emailed me back.
-Laundry in the washer. Need to put it in dryer.
Then the phone rings. 25 minutes gone, chatting with mom. It was needed, but my chair is still empty.
Oh! I need to upload those photos Cary sent from the cruise. It can wait. But I really want to see the pictures!
I sit down, my mind has a hard time slowing down. Have I become ADD? No, I am a mom and wife and daughter and sister-in-law and friend and neighbor and housekeeper and cook and yet I am me. I want to write poetry and paint the chair for the bathroom and hang the old window somewhere ummm, and write a book when I get a chance. And what's for dinner and dang, I forgot to get someone to sub for me in the nursery Sunday! 1st of the month...pay mortgage.

Back to Spurgeon. He challenges me to glean from God's word-to feast on the meaty promises that satisfy-to be quenched and full.

"Our Master's field is very rich; behold the handfuls. See, there they lie before thee, poor timid believer! Gather them up, make them thine own, for Jesus bids thee take them. Be not afraid, only believe! Grasp these sweet promises, thresh them out by meditation and feed on them with joy."

This is my soul's need. Open the word. Open it. My mind has settled. I'm in. I'm there and I'm focused. The monitor speaks. The boy is awake. The boy is ready for his "nack." Ok Lord, we'll try again tomorrow. Oh, but your sweetness did invade my soul and I will greet my son with your kiss.