North Carolina

SO, let it be known that though one of my biggest dreams is to move to the south, NC is not the place I wish to live.

Which is funny, because I find myself really liking NC music.

And this bothers me.

Immensely.

See, its folksy.

And it makes me think I should be a folksy hippie or something.

And if you know me, I am neither folksy nor hippie.

At all.

Ever.

Regardless, I so enjoy the Avett Brothers.  I got the cd for my oldest son, and ended up liking it more than he does.

They are in the city in 3 days, and I will not be there because there is no way I can make it, specially after I tell you where I will be tomorrow. Later.

I did not go to high school in the 60s or 70s when folk music was around, I was still in elementary school in the late 70s, and we all know just how much we don't care about music in elementary school.

When I got to high school, I was into bands like Tears for Fears and David Bowie and U2 before they became U2 and I had to go into the city to buy their albums because no one had them here in Jersey.

And now, how much do I LOVE JMM? 

Loads and loads.

I am discovering more NC bands, and...I can't believe how much I like them.

Not cool.

And no, I do not like them because of their beards.  duh.

Though, let's get real...I have always been a fan of beards.  

Speaking of, my husband, who has a fabulous beard,

( granted the long hair is not my cup of tea, but if it helps keep the beard...)



came home one night and told me he read that the razor companies and having record low sales lately.

They are stressing and trying to come up with advertising to reverse this trend.

All I can say is, I had begged my husband to grow a beard since we got married.  29 years ago.  I couldn't care less if the trend goes away.

I will always be a fan of beards.  Always have been.  Always will be.

 And I will ALWAYS hope he never shaves it.

Ever.

Disclaimer: Not a big fan of the long beard.  Though I enjoy DD, those beards are too much for my taste. lol. 

Back to the original topic.  :p

I need to find some other taste in music to offset this style.

Quick.

NOW, on to where I am going this week.  Tomorrow to be exact.

My husband got me tickets to go see ROCKY on Broadway!!!!

ROCKY!!!

I KNOW!!!!  RIGHT??!!??

Again, another one of my loves.

We have ringside seats!!!!

I think he loves me.  <3   :)  

Tikvah

When my daughter moved from VA Beach to Jersey, oh wait, maybe it was from her from her rental to her next location, or her next location to her home now...regardless, it was in one of her many moves ( with babies in tow) that happened in a year and a half, she had this book in a give away box.

I saw it and grabbed it.

I don't know why.

Being the minimalist that she is, she gave me a mini lecture as I was taking it, making sure I would really read it and not take it just because and now it will be in my home creating clutter.  ( she is her father's child to the core)

Well, I did want to read it.  I don't know why.  This guy never appealed to me, and I was not 'into' his music and really, I have about 8 books I have to read ( in my nook, no clutter), but for some reason, I took it anyway.

Despite her look, lecture and as well as my husband's right behind her, I bought it home.  It has been 'creating clutter' for more than a few months.

Well, last week, my nook spazzed out and I haven't had time to go to B&N to get it fixed.

So the old concept of reading a paper book came back into my life.

This book was front and center.  I still ignored it.  For a few days.

But then I grabbed it and walked around with it and put it down where I was and grabbed it again, but didn't really open it to read it until bed time.

Just didn't want to or thought it would be boring-ish, and like I said, I never really had an interested to begin with.

Now I chalk it up to...' Its a GOD thing'.

I have wept several times while reading this book.

And it has bought me back to the Throne.

HE is so good to me.  I hadn't realized how laxed I had become in my faith.  I hadn't realized I was wading the ocean flat on my back instead of working the waves.

The funny part is, I like this guy more and more with each page.  I did not expect that.  I was just interested to see ...what happened.  More of a gossipy heart than a searching heart.

He is so not my kind of 'hero', and oh how he would hate to be thought of that way.  Just read the book.  But now, I so wish I was more like him.  I am not finished, and I a reading it WAY more slowly, to savor the words as well as the faith.  Last night, I read some excerpts to Samuel out loud.  It humbled him, too.  He didn't want to hear it, but he was glad he did.

Anyway, I think this book it a keeper.  For me.

On another note.

I miss my mom.  She is  at the motherland visiting.  She visits for weeks on end.  The girls miss her, too.  When we go to the house to check up on it, they mope around and ask how much longer.  Samuel has a count down calendar, and he is 15.  He already has expressed she has to come over for dinner the day after she gets home. She is a good grandmother.  And she feeds them.  :)

Less than 3 months until Precious Grandson #3 is born, but he will be #1 from our firstborn. Have I mentioned being a grandmother is such a blessing?? There really is nothing like being a mom.  Except being a grandmom.  I love both roles and am thankful for the privilege.  Even being a mother in law is a delight.  I love my children in law dearly.  They are more than I could have hoped for for my children.  I had nothing to do with the pickin' and choosin' but I did have something to do with the raisin', so they would make good choices, and trusted that.  They did good.  <3  ( I know, I know, it should be 'they did well ', and the grammar lady in my is wanting to change it, but let's move on.)


HE is good.  ALL THE TIME.

Remember to always seek HIS face.

This Good Day, It Is A Gift From YOU.

Life is so very devastatingly hard.  

But GOD is so amazingly good.

And our hardships are often caused by our sin.  Or at the very least, sin in this world.  

But usually it's us.

And thankfully, HE is merciful anyway.

Well, it's February, which means it is about that time of the year that we put down the deposit on the summer house.

Specially since we are not going to Martha's Vineyard.  That would have required we do that at the beginning of January.

I miss going there.  I don't miss the whole ferry fiasco of getting there, but very much enjoy the island itself. I can't wait for Obama to get out of the White House so we can start going back!!  I was so sick and tired of being there the same week he was there.  :P ::: gag:::  No matter what week we would choose, whether it was the last week in July, the first week in August, the second week in August, there he was.

We vowed not to go back until he is gone.

I even know what house we will rent when we DO get to go back!  We rented it before and it was my favorite.

I can't wait.

Anyway...

Boo had her birthday. 

She is 7.

SEVEN!!!  

She is the age I was when I first came to America!  I was telling the girls about my journey here.  It fascinated their little minds, as much as they could comprehend, anyway.

Just family was here.

It was decided we would alternate birthday parties.  One year, one would get a friends birthday party and the other a family, and we alternate the next year.

Well, Boo had fun anyway, because family is awesome. 

In spite of our shortcomings.

The girls sure do love their daddy.

Rightfully so.

Every girls should have a daddy like him.

And PLEASE, let's add to our Frozen collection.  lol.

They seem to not mind.  AT ALL.

Speaking of Frozen.

Have I mentioned how much I hate winter?  Maybe hate is the wrong word.

Detest.

This is my grill on the first snowfall. ( Actually it was not the first, it was the first I took a picture of after the last one had melted) Which was followed 4 days later by another 7 or 8 inches.  Which was followed 2 days later by an ice storm.

It is cold.

We had a nice day in between.  It went up to 40 degrees!!!

It was so warm, when I went out to TSC to get the chicken feed, I didn't even wear a jacket!  And seeing everyone out and about, they, too either had sweatshirts, sweaters or even long sleeve shirts, WITHOUT A JACKET!!!

Woo-Hoo!! 

We felt like we were in Florida!!

It lasted one day.

Whatever.

When John walks out the door every morning, he has multiple layers on.  He actually looks normal.  He always looks like he needs to eat a sandwich, gain 10 or 15 pounds to look right.  Alas, he can't seem to.  What a problem to have.  :P

Anyway, I am back to reading Oswald Chambers.

Thankfully.

And the message he has for the day it painfully appropriate.

GOD is good.

ALL THE TIME.

Sometimes, I can't help but feel defeated.

I know one should not be ruled by feelings.  Rightfully so.

But sometimes the rejection is so painful...

Clinging to the Cross.

Because that's all I have.

And it will be enough.

In the midst of the pain and acceptance.  In the midst of the rejection and panic.

It will be enough.

HOPE!

I got an email this morning, and I was disappointed.  Again.

The thing is, I KNEW this would happen, I prepared for it.  I made sure that the people had every opportunity to disappoint me. And in doing so, preparing myself for the inevidable.  In fact, I made it so that they could disappoint me without me actually knowing about it!!  But, alas.   :P

I don't know why I allow myself to hope in this relationship.  To tell you the truth, I will probably never give up hope.  I will be a fool.  I will put myself out there... when they let me.  I will continue to put the ball in their court, wait and hope.

While the other part of me will be defeated.

Again.

Oh well.

GOD is good.  HE has provided others to fill in the relationships.  HE has been abundant.  HE has been more than graceful.

I will be thankful.

Moving on.

In a week is our anniversary.  I guess I was thinking about it this morning because last night, the girls and I wanted to watch Duck Dynasty's episode of when Miss Kay & Phil renewed their wedding vows.  It was beautiful.  Not because of anything other than the fact that they really had some rough times.  And their motto is pretty much...To GOD be the glory. great things HE has done.

That is a good motto.

John was thinking of complaining because he doesn't rewatch anything.  When he started to say something, I quickly mentioned that the girls requested it and knew that he would not say anything else.  Because after all, they are his baby girls and then the discussion was over.  This happens with the 25 year old baby girl, too.  Still.

We are going to be at a mere 29 years.  I would love to do out vows at our 30th.  John is not a rewatch OR redo kind of guy.  I can dream right?  I mean, look at the beginning of this post.  lol.

Yes, people, I am a fool.

I'm ok with that.

On another note, grandbaby boy #2 is going to have his first birthday in 2 months!!!

Why am I mentioning this 2 months ahead of time?  Maybe because we do 1st birthdays big.  The basic list already has 34ish people on it.  And thats just my people.  I haven't asked my daughter & son in law for their list yet.  Or son in law's parents. lol.   I love birthdays.  Specially first birthdays.  <3

Speaking of birthdays, The Chinese Peanut has one coming up soon.  Like 12 days soon!!!  She will be 7.  Which blows my mind.  She, too,  is my rock and my peace.  Her trust in me is undeserved and humbling, something I have to live up to constantly.  Which makes me thankful.

OK, kiddos are finished with their quiet work, back to teaching!

Seek HIM.  Be holy.  Open yourselves up to others.  Even if they reject you.  Again.

New Year, Same Hope

YES!  It's a new year!  Yes, I still have the same hope!!!  It's not a *yawn* old hope that I haven't yet achieved and I have to keep recycling.

Not to lose weight, though that would be great.  Not to eat better, though that is the plan. Not to get more organized, though I do need help in that.  Not to declutter my house, though I will try.

It is my hope, my desire to walk more closely to my King.

WOO-HOO!!

Who could desire anything else???

It excites me.  It encourages me.  It keeps me on HIS path.

New Year...SAME HOPE!!!!!    :D


Christmas was good.  The whole family was together.  Who can't have a good Christmas that way??!!?

Yesterday was Boo's Gotcha Day!!!

Four years ago yesterday, she was placed in our arms, we spent an hour signing our life away, and got a better life.

The day we got her.

Three weeks ago.

Its amazing what 4 years does to a kid.  

Anyway.

We went to the city last week, and it was crazy!!!  I wanted to go to the Museum of Natural History, see the whale and have the girls be amazed at GOD's creations, but when we got there, the line to get in was out the door, around the corner and made its way back and down the street.

TO GET IN!!!!

WhAt??!!??!

Needless to say, we didn't go there.  We went to the Met.  And saw Mary Magdalene's tooth.  Again.

(When Samuel was little, this would fascinate him and we had to see it every single time we went.) 

My nieces saw it for the first time.

It looks like a tooth.

Moving on.

Anyway.  Back to the school routine.  Which is good.

And to seeking HIS face.  Which is very good.

May you desire to seek him deeply this year.

You will not regret it.

It won't be easy, and sometimes you may wish you were not on this journey.  But looking back, you will NEVER regret it.

Way too busy, or Slacker?

I feel like a slacker.

Usually I am so busy, I don't get to do other things I also need to do, therefore feeling like a slacker for not doing the other stuff done.

For Example:

Christian's birthday is on Monday!!!

Last year, it was her first birthday here, her English was not so good,  and at the same time, our oldest child had gotten married 2 days before, and Christmas was 2 days later.

Can we say whirlwind??!!?

RIGHT?

So as not to ignore it all together from the business of it all, we invited her little friend, family, had pizza, cake & presents.  It was good.

I had no excuse this year.  And I didn't want one!

I had a list of 5 little friends and a plan.  My oldest daughter and I discussed it planned it and are excited about.  The only problem is, I forgot to tell the 5 little ones until... TODAY!!!!

Thankfully, I have good friends who don't offend easily and are on the same boat as I am, and the graciously showed their support by laughing at me.

I love my friends.

Because at the end of the day, all of those 5 little ones are coming.

Life is good.

This week has been interesting.

I got violently sick on Tuesday.  Lets just say I lost about 4 pounds in one day.  Use your imagination.  Last night, Samuel started hurling at 10:30ish pm.  And didn't stop until 7 this morning.  Needless to say, he has slept all day trying to catch up on his sleep and recoup his strength.

Then, to top it off, I just found out my husband has been hurling at work since 4 this afternoon.   Why he is still there is  beyond me.  I called him and he sounded terrible.  My poor love.  And he can't afford to lose 1/2 pound!!!!!

To top it off...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.

It is only 6 days until Christmas.

I am up to 5 gifts.  :P

Pray for me.