A little something from a few years ago:
November 25, 2006
True Colors (Colours for my English Influenced Buds)
Recently, I learned that the colors leaves turn in autumn are the true colors of the leaves. Green is their camouflage for the summer because of a little thing called chlorophyll. (My dictionary is getting a good working out with this post!)
Autumn is my favorite season. The crisp air and the changing leaves. Maybe one of the reasons it is so beautiful is because we are seeing true colors instead of a facade (not to say that the green of summer isn't stunning).
Truth is, everyone wears a facade at least some of the time. Most people wear a mask to keep from getting hurt. Don't you agree? It is my experience that, when I am able to gain the trust of someone and their mask is down, I see such beautiful colors! True colors! When the true colors of a person are evil, I try to be loyal in praying that they will find the Savior so their colors will become vibrantly beautiful. God wishes that all would come to Him and be in communion with Him.
September 27, 2009
I love, love, love autumn; the sights and smells. I wish I could transport those of you who have never experienced this season here.
Himself and I went with friends to their shore house this weekend. It was too windy for the beach so we hung out on the balcony and inside and then went to a fab restaurant for dinner. It's always good to spend time with them.
Sorry for not posting a falderal last week. It completely slipped my mind. This Friday, okay?
Blessings for the week to come, g
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Feeling Free Falderal
September 18
For the last two and a half years (three and a half if you count a false start), I have been working through the book Walls of My Heart by Dr. Bruce Thompson and Barbara Thompson. It is described as "Powerful Keys to Breaking Out and Being Free."
Since I was fifteen years old, I have been in and out of therapy. All those counselors, all those years prepared my for this journey through which I was led by, for the most part, my friend Am. I learned that I had built walls of sadness, insecurity, bitterness, anger and many more negatives around my heart. My experience taught me why I put them there, how to tear them down and how to build new walls which are healthy for me and pleasing to God.
There is so much I want to write but I am hoping that maybe some of you will take this journey. If you have no one here to guide you through it, I hope you will ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. I will be happy to answer questions via e-mails.
The weekend is upon us and it couldn't have come too soon! I'm beat. Isabella is my companion from seven am til school starts at nine and then I pick her up at two thirty. She is with us until six pm. I love her more than anything in this world - still, weekends are good!
Do you have anyone you can talk to about what's on your mind? I am blessed in that area. I have wise friends and a great mom.
Breakfast sausage or bacon? Neither! What are you trying to do, kill me? My cholesterol is high enough. Who thinks up these questions anyway. Besides, I hate the spicing in breakfast sausage.
Do you think about whether or not what you watch or read effects you spiritually? More than ever before. I have learned that a person's brain retains memories so well that, when having brain surgery in the memory portion of the brain, memories and the feelings that went along with them are relived when probed! I must be careful what I put in here.
You can be instantly transported anywhere in the world right now for three hours. Where would you go? As of this moment, I would go to be with my friend V in South Africa to take care of her because she is sick.
Once again, are you ready for some football??? Last Sunday, because we have the NFL channel, we also have a channel called Red Zone. It is five hours of non-commercial football switching from game to game when teams get close to the twenty yard line or further if the other teams are on commercial break. My son and his buddies had a hard time tearing themselves away for potty breaks! Himself and I went to a fair in town for an hour but I enjoyed the games with the guys while reading a book.
Let me know what you are up to, people. Sending blessings your way, g
For the last two and a half years (three and a half if you count a false start), I have been working through the book Walls of My Heart by Dr. Bruce Thompson and Barbara Thompson. It is described as "Powerful Keys to Breaking Out and Being Free."
Since I was fifteen years old, I have been in and out of therapy. All those counselors, all those years prepared my for this journey through which I was led by, for the most part, my friend Am. I learned that I had built walls of sadness, insecurity, bitterness, anger and many more negatives around my heart. My experience taught me why I put them there, how to tear them down and how to build new walls which are healthy for me and pleasing to God.
There is so much I want to write but I am hoping that maybe some of you will take this journey. If you have no one here to guide you through it, I hope you will ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. I will be happy to answer questions via e-mails.
The weekend is upon us and it couldn't have come too soon! I'm beat. Isabella is my companion from seven am til school starts at nine and then I pick her up at two thirty. She is with us until six pm. I love her more than anything in this world - still, weekends are good!
Do you have anyone you can talk to about what's on your mind? I am blessed in that area. I have wise friends and a great mom.
Breakfast sausage or bacon? Neither! What are you trying to do, kill me? My cholesterol is high enough. Who thinks up these questions anyway. Besides, I hate the spicing in breakfast sausage.
Do you think about whether or not what you watch or read effects you spiritually? More than ever before. I have learned that a person's brain retains memories so well that, when having brain surgery in the memory portion of the brain, memories and the feelings that went along with them are relived when probed! I must be careful what I put in here.
You can be instantly transported anywhere in the world right now for three hours. Where would you go? As of this moment, I would go to be with my friend V in South Africa to take care of her because she is sick.
Once again, are you ready for some football??? Last Sunday, because we have the NFL channel, we also have a channel called Red Zone. It is five hours of non-commercial football switching from game to game when teams get close to the twenty yard line or further if the other teams are on commercial break. My son and his buddies had a hard time tearing themselves away for potty breaks! Himself and I went to a fair in town for an hour but I enjoyed the games with the guys while reading a book.
Let me know what you are up to, people. Sending blessings your way, g
Friday, September 11, 2009
First Amendment Freedom
September 11
I Won't Forget
It was a beautiful day much like today. Temperature was around 70 and school had just started again after a long summer break. I had just finished an exercise video and was about to start the treadmill when I turned on the tv. Instead of the regular programming the station was showing a view of the World Trade Center which was expelling billowing, dark gray smoke.
I called Himself at work to see what the buzz was there since he was in the travel industry. They thought it was a small plane gone astray just as one did at the Empire State Building many years ago. While we were talking, a second plane went into the other Tower and I screamed, "OhmyGod! OhmyGod! OhmyGod! It was then we knew we were being attacked.
After hanging up with Himself, I tried to go on the treadmill. Was it shock? A need for normalcy or routine in my world which had just been turned upside down? I can't tell you but I remember that I couldn't stay on that machine but, instead, sat riveted to the television.
I called my sister and gave her office the lowdown. I called my parents, brother, friends and told those who hadn't heard yet to put on their tv's. What channel, they asked. Any channel.
Thinking about bioterrorism, I went to the nearest supermarket and bought twenty-two gallons of water and two gallons of bleach for purifying water. I then filled up my gas tank and told the Arab attendant to be careful. Next was a stop at my dd's home. She was a mess but I knew that her friends were on their way so I went to The Boy's school.
The Boy was in the lunch room and I explained to him and his friends what was happening as calmly as possible. They didn't seem spooked so I asked my boy if he wanted to stay in school and be brave for his friends. He said yes. As I was leaving, I stopped in at the nurse's office. I told her I didn't know what was the right thing to do. She told me that, yes, I did know. I immediately went back to the lunch room and took my son home.
Himself was not permitted to leave work until three that afternoon. We had to turn off the television despite the fact that I didn't want to. It just wasn't good for our boy to watch this over and over again.
Living close to a very busy airport we are quite used to hearing planes going overhead at any time of the day. One of the most eerie parts of that day was the silence of commuter jet traffic and the roar of military jets and the pulsing of helicopter rotors which occasionally swept by.
We had no idea what was to come next. All we knew was that we were together, God was and is alive and well and that His eye was/is on us.
Truth be told, I don't remember much else about that day. I was helping to care for a friend who was dying of cancer and had to compartmentalize everything to be able to cope. In the following months, I became anorexic (not for the first time), my son graduated from sixth grade, my dear friend died and I went into an eating disorders facility for three weeks to keep from dying myself. However, on September 11, 2002, the trauma hit me big time. I kept expecting the same thing to happen. It didn't, thankfully, but the PTSD Alien Hunter speaks of was and, I believe, is still rampant in these here parts.
On this fifth anniversay, I sit here and wonder when the next attack will occur and if it will happen in the same places. Could my son cope with watching a site in NYC smoking and burning for two months again? I don't care what your political leanings are but I believe this administration has strengthened our security greatly. Our borders are still porous and that is a problem we need to deal with. Whether or not we belong in Iraq will not be discussed on this site and I will immediately delete any posts referring to it.
One of my greatest fears is that we, as a nation, have become complacent. Yes, we have to get on with our lives. However, there are people who complain about taking off their shoes before hopping on a plane and many who no longer fly their flags like we did five years ago. The taxis in NYC are honking their horns loudly again unlike the control they showed for what I believe was months after 9/11.
One good change has remained, though. We say, "I love you," much more freely than we did five years ago. We are much more aware of how fragile and finite our lives are. This is a very good thing.
Fly Old Glory proudly, my friends, and pray for our nation.
I Won't Forget
It was a beautiful day much like today. Temperature was around 70 and school had just started again after a long summer break. I had just finished an exercise video and was about to start the treadmill when I turned on the tv. Instead of the regular programming the station was showing a view of the World Trade Center which was expelling billowing, dark gray smoke.
I called Himself at work to see what the buzz was there since he was in the travel industry. They thought it was a small plane gone astray just as one did at the Empire State Building many years ago. While we were talking, a second plane went into the other Tower and I screamed, "OhmyGod! OhmyGod! OhmyGod! It was then we knew we were being attacked.
After hanging up with Himself, I tried to go on the treadmill. Was it shock? A need for normalcy or routine in my world which had just been turned upside down? I can't tell you but I remember that I couldn't stay on that machine but, instead, sat riveted to the television.
I called my sister and gave her office the lowdown. I called my parents, brother, friends and told those who hadn't heard yet to put on their tv's. What channel, they asked. Any channel.
Thinking about bioterrorism, I went to the nearest supermarket and bought twenty-two gallons of water and two gallons of bleach for purifying water. I then filled up my gas tank and told the Arab attendant to be careful. Next was a stop at my dd's home. She was a mess but I knew that her friends were on their way so I went to The Boy's school.
The Boy was in the lunch room and I explained to him and his friends what was happening as calmly as possible. They didn't seem spooked so I asked my boy if he wanted to stay in school and be brave for his friends. He said yes. As I was leaving, I stopped in at the nurse's office. I told her I didn't know what was the right thing to do. She told me that, yes, I did know. I immediately went back to the lunch room and took my son home.
Himself was not permitted to leave work until three that afternoon. We had to turn off the television despite the fact that I didn't want to. It just wasn't good for our boy to watch this over and over again.
Living close to a very busy airport we are quite used to hearing planes going overhead at any time of the day. One of the most eerie parts of that day was the silence of commuter jet traffic and the roar of military jets and the pulsing of helicopter rotors which occasionally swept by.
We had no idea what was to come next. All we knew was that we were together, God was and is alive and well and that His eye was/is on us.
Truth be told, I don't remember much else about that day. I was helping to care for a friend who was dying of cancer and had to compartmentalize everything to be able to cope. In the following months, I became anorexic (not for the first time), my son graduated from sixth grade, my dear friend died and I went into an eating disorders facility for three weeks to keep from dying myself. However, on September 11, 2002, the trauma hit me big time. I kept expecting the same thing to happen. It didn't, thankfully, but the PTSD Alien Hunter speaks of was and, I believe, is still rampant in these here parts.
On this fifth anniversay, I sit here and wonder when the next attack will occur and if it will happen in the same places. Could my son cope with watching a site in NYC smoking and burning for two months again? I don't care what your political leanings are but I believe this administration has strengthened our security greatly. Our borders are still porous and that is a problem we need to deal with. Whether or not we belong in Iraq will not be discussed on this site and I will immediately delete any posts referring to it.
One of my greatest fears is that we, as a nation, have become complacent. Yes, we have to get on with our lives. However, there are people who complain about taking off their shoes before hopping on a plane and many who no longer fly their flags like we did five years ago. The taxis in NYC are honking their horns loudly again unlike the control they showed for what I believe was months after 9/11.
One good change has remained, though. We say, "I love you," much more freely than we did five years ago. We are much more aware of how fragile and finite our lives are. This is a very good thing.
Fly Old Glory proudly, my friends, and pray for our nation.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Fun, Fatique and Farewells Falderal
It was quite a week here in gville. I watched Isabella four of five days (I told The Girl to get someone else to watch her on Thursday when I could barely keep my eyes open Wednesday from insomnia and fatigue).
We visited a great park on Monday, the same park on Tuesday with a school chum and his mom and two sisters and a local zoo on Wednesday. Exhausting and fun.
As for farewell, we attended a wake this afternoon. Our bcf's sister-in-law passed after a long illness. Only 69 years old. God rest her soul. She and her husband were sweethearts from the time they were fourteen and fifteen.
Life can sure throw us curve balls. What's the old saying, "We make plans and God laughs?"
We never planned on having a grandchild with autism but here we are. We are blessed that our Bells can communicate for the most part. I have been noticing some behaviors lately that are disheartening but we can address them with her teacher and therapists when school starts next week.
As you all know, we wouldn't trade our Isabella for a neurotypical child. She is who she is and autism is a part of her. Eventually, she will, more than likely, be in a regular classroom. She will probably always have "eccentric" ways about her. Truth be told, it is my own eccentricities that I tend to like best about myself! My buddy, M, says I am definitely on the spectrum! (Her son is in Bells' class and we can kid around like that.)
Do you have any interaction with a person with autism? Well, uh, yea! Bells and now her friend. It is an educational experience nearly every day. Am I happy for the education? Most days.
What do you know more about than you would have chosen to know about? Cancer and autism. I have had more experience with them having to do with people I love than I would ever choose to.
Have you ever gone skydiving? Would you? Are you out of your cotton pickin' mind?!
What would you like to try to do that you haven't done before? Hmmm...why do I ask questions I don't have a ready answer for? How about a missions trip. I like my comfort zone and could use an attitude adjustment.
Is there any such thing as an honest politician? Oh, I hope so.
For my American friends, enjoy your Labor Day weekend. For everyone else, enjoy your regular weekend!
blessings, gail
We visited a great park on Monday, the same park on Tuesday with a school chum and his mom and two sisters and a local zoo on Wednesday. Exhausting and fun.
As for farewell, we attended a wake this afternoon. Our bcf's sister-in-law passed after a long illness. Only 69 years old. God rest her soul. She and her husband were sweethearts from the time they were fourteen and fifteen.
Life can sure throw us curve balls. What's the old saying, "We make plans and God laughs?"
We never planned on having a grandchild with autism but here we are. We are blessed that our Bells can communicate for the most part. I have been noticing some behaviors lately that are disheartening but we can address them with her teacher and therapists when school starts next week.
As you all know, we wouldn't trade our Isabella for a neurotypical child. She is who she is and autism is a part of her. Eventually, she will, more than likely, be in a regular classroom. She will probably always have "eccentric" ways about her. Truth be told, it is my own eccentricities that I tend to like best about myself! My buddy, M, says I am definitely on the spectrum! (Her son is in Bells' class and we can kid around like that.)
Do you have any interaction with a person with autism? Well, uh, yea! Bells and now her friend. It is an educational experience nearly every day. Am I happy for the education? Most days.
What do you know more about than you would have chosen to know about? Cancer and autism. I have had more experience with them having to do with people I love than I would ever choose to.
Have you ever gone skydiving? Would you? Are you out of your cotton pickin' mind?!
What would you like to try to do that you haven't done before? Hmmm...why do I ask questions I don't have a ready answer for? How about a missions trip. I like my comfort zone and could use an attitude adjustment.
Is there any such thing as an honest politician? Oh, I hope so.
For my American friends, enjoy your Labor Day weekend. For everyone else, enjoy your regular weekend!
blessings, gail
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