Drama

I'm in Texas now.

Lots o'drama. Everyone is okay, though.

It just makes me tired.

Saturday excitement ;-)

I guess it has been a while since I wrote. Since then, lots has happened.

Ky is home (hooray!!!!!!) and I've been soaking her up, trying to be with her enough so that I'll have lots of happy memories to tide me over once she returns to school.

That event will come very soon. Probably the middle of August, which is waaaaay sooner than I realize. She'll move into her own apartment and I am very excited for her.

Today we braved Ikea to go buy up all the furniture we needed from there. Today they had some special event that allowed us to get breakfast there free. We made it barely under the wire, but we all got eggs, bacon, potatoes and coffee free. Even usually, that would cost only about a buck. I think they figure if they can get some of us in there before noon, we'll stay until lunch and eat lunch there before buying lots of stuff. Ikea sometimes gets a snooty look from folks because lots of their furniture is cheap, as well as inexpensive. We had done a lot of looking around, however, and I don't know why anyone would buy brand new furniture for their college student if it wasn't fairly cheap.

A couple of weeks ago, Ky and I went to every place I could think of to try to look for inexpensive furniture. I had found several items on Freecycle, but we don't own a truck or SUV and I had no way of collecting that furniture, plus it wasn't usually very good. Ky had taken her time and found exactly what she wanted. We purchased it all and once it was all in her little Scion xB, there was barely enough room for her to sit in the back seat and I was sitting a bit sideways in the front seat with my knees pressed firmly against her glove box. Kim was driving and I warned him not to hit any bumps or I'd be left knee-less. Thanks be to God that we all made it home safely and so did the furniture. Boy, am I happy to say that her apartment is on the ground floor. :-))))

We had a great time today. It will be so sad to see her leave again, but we'll get along. I hear from other parents that we'll eventually not mind her being on her own. Well, we'll see. I'm not so sure.

She and Kim built her a bed frame this afternoon. She is getting rather handy with tools. Oh, and she made us another cheesecake. Now, do you see why I'm reluctant to let her leave???

Good Day

Today was a very good day.  

We all went to Tysons Corner and saw Night At the Museum:  Battle of the Smithsonian.  

Been to the Smithsonian a lot of times.  It was fun to see the museum, even though most of the show wasn't shot there.   

It is good to know that decent movies can still draw a crowd.  

People-Pleasers

I just heard a sermon stating that everyone is a people-pleaser.   It went on to state that there are two types of people-pleasers:  Those who want others to like them and those who want to be successful.  

The first will do what others want them to simply to try to stay on the "good" side of the people around them.  Sometimes, though, they are forced to choose between people because one person will convince them that to be correct, the people the person used to please was wrong and should now be avoided/displeased/punished/whatever.  (I've seen that happen quite often as children mature and form their own relationships.)

The second will do whatever is necessary to achieve their own idea of success.  That would mean that in the first example, this people-pleaser is the one who tells the first person to avoid/displease/punish/whatever the earlier person that was that person's ideal.    This person is a Donald Trump type of person.  Not really interested in individuals, just in his/her own success.  

I'm still mulling this one over.  What do you think?  

Question

Why are Spring Breaks so short????

Happy Week!!!!

Spring Break for VT is this week.  I'll be sporting a smile and be breathless with happiness this week, since Ky is home.  

Unfortunately, I must work this week, so Ky and I have had to do some speed shopping this weekend.  Not for the faint of heart!  We still have some more places to cover, so I hope there will be time to hit a store or two during the week.  Everything looks great on Ky, so it is challenging to decide what is best.  We get lots of good talking done while we are shopping, too.  I guess shopping is an important activity for me because those were some of the best memories I have of my younger days with my mom.   

SNOW DAY!

Well, it's official.  Tomorrow is already a snow day, even though we have no snow on the ground yet.  That is scary.

Home Again!

Just got home from a quick trip to Blacksburg.  It was medicine to my heart to see Ky again.  She is doing very well, it seems, in spite of the 18 credit hours she's taking this semester.  Ugh.  I don't think I'd have managed 18 hours in one semester, ever!  My hat's off to her.  That won't do much for her, but please just keep her in your prayers.   She's got less than two weeks before spring break.  Of course, her spring break will be a month or so before mine, so she can sleep late and relax with friends if she'd like to do that during her spring break.  By the time my spring break happens she'll almost be preparing for her finals.  Yeah.  Add her to your prayer list, okay?

It feels good to be home again!

:-)

It's been a while...

Whoa.  It has been a while since I last posted.  Just goes to show you how exciting my life really is.  :-)

I just returned from a trip to my parents' home in Texas.  Had to fly down quickly because my father had a heart attack.  He was in the hospital all the time I was there, but as soon as I got home, he came home.    I guess the Medicare rules say that if you still have a pulse after ten days, you go home.  It is shameful that they would release him in such lousy shape.  I felt he needed a day or two more.  But, I'm on the wrong side of the doctor's desk to know for sure, I guess.

I flew down on AirTran.  I swore in 2001 that I'd never fly AirTran again, after the mess they called an airline I experienced then.  Flight attendants yelling at passengers--not because they were unruly, just things like they tried to put their luggage in a place the flight attendant thought was incorrect, or another tried to hold her coat in her lap, and other ridiculous things.  They also taxied around on the tarmac for so long I missed my connection, which was also AirTran.  They assured me,  however, that they gave my seat to a worthy person--one who had missed his connecting flight for the same reason.  They managed to get me on a flight about 15 minutes before they'd have had to buy me a meal, too.  Yep, they were pros.

They have apparently tried to remake themselves, and from what I experienced, they did a good job.  Everyone I encountered was nice.   I think I'll fly them again, if I have a lot of extra time. You must stop at Atlanta, where the food is awful and expensive.   It can take a long time. 

I checked in on my return flight from Dallas.  I mistakenly okayed it without checking to see what seats I'd get.  I also got both boarding passes at once.  I got on the first flight and landed in Atlanta.  I had two hours before my flight would leave from gate D9.  Great!  I was at D6 anyway.  I walked the concourse and ate a rather expensive Junior Whopper between D10 and D12.  Then, I walked back to wait at D9.  Sat down.    The flight to Fort Myer left and I expected to see my fellow Washingtonians fill the area.  About 45 minutes before my flight would leave, I was still alone.  I checked my boarding pass again.  There it was, gate---OH NO!  Gate C9!  I had some real estate to cover.  I knew the cross-over concourse was around gate D17 or so, and made my way as fast as I could.  I turned left toward concourses A, B and C.  Thank goodness it was only Gate C!  I had to go down an escalator.  It was pretty long and steep, you know, a little like the Metro escalators.  I got on and decided I'd better check my boarding pass again.  I grabbed it from my pocket and---OH NO!  Bump, bump, bump, bump.  My rolling suitcase refuses to stand up straight and had just fallen over and began its metronomic journey down the escalator steps.  There were about 20 steps between me and the nice man standing in front of me.  Good, because it gave me time to act, but bad because the suitcase seemed to be gaining speed.  There were about 10 people standing on the escalator in front of me and it looked like I was going to make a strike on my first escalator bowling attempt.    Finally, when the suitcase was about five steps from him, the man turned around and saw the impending danger.  He gracefully stopped my suitcase and held it for me to catch up to him.  "I'm so sorry!  It just got away from me!  I'm so glad it didn't hit you!  Thank you!"  Of course, it probably came out, "I just got away!  I'm so glad I'm sorry!" because I was so rattled!  Whew!  

So, I picked up speed and headed right for the moving sidewalk.  This poor man was on the sidewalk in front of me and seemed to be trying to stay ahead of me.  I was half-laughing, half-terrified that I wouldn't make it to the gate on time.  I would have slowed if I hadn't been afraid I'd miss my flight.  Poor guy!   

I made the flight.  Hooray!  My dear husband whisked me off to dinner.  Hooray!  My dog nearly turned himself inside out greeting me.  Hooray!

I'm glad to be home, but would appreciate all prayers for my parents and for those who are caring for them right now.  

Warm and fuzzy

Tonight is the end of a relaxing visit from daughter, Ky.  She's been home almost a month from college.  Starts back to school on Tuesday. We've had talked, laughed, eaten out, eaten in, cooked together, cried together and shared our hopes for the future in this short time period.  If you know her, you know how I feel right now.  

I'm so happy that she makes good choices and gets advice if she isn't sure which path to take. She has a mind of her own, but she is quite level-headed and mature.   She thinks before she speaks.  

I wish I could say the same for myself!

I'm going to really miss having her around.  I haven't had to be in the same room or even at the same address to have a smile on my face for the past month.  She just lights up a room and seems to be happiest whenever she puts the interests of others ahead of her own.

I'm going to miss you, Ky, but you are ready to continue on your Grand Adventure.  

"The Lord bless you and keep you.  The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."   (Numbers 6: 24-26)

The Party's Over!

Back at work.  Ugh.