The Perfect Moment

Life has been crazy this summer! We have been so busy that laundry has ended up on the floor and in attempt to be understanding I asked Dearest Husband if he could please leave his “laundry trail” out of the walk way. I even admitted that I was guilty of this habit too! A few days go by and I don’t really think about it again, but apparently Dearest Husband had not forgotten. Last night we are brushing our teeth and as soon as I put mouth wash in Dearest Husband informs me that he needs to show me something. I’m doing that crazy thing when you have mouthwash in and trying to gesture and talk in ultra enunciated  words “in a second” but Dearest Husband says is it urgent. So I sleepily walk to where he standing at the end of the bed, and look to where he is pointing . . . . . a pair of pants I had taken off earlier that day laying on the floor. I’m half awake trying to wrack my brain to make any scene of this. Thank God Dearest Husband realizes my confusion and fills me in “your laundry is in the walk way”. Rolling my eyes, I pick them up and toss them in the laundry bin. My gums are burning from the mouth wash by now so I turn to spit it out when Dearest Husband let me know “I had to wait till you used the mouth wash so you wouldn’t argue back” Apparently he had been waiting all day, for the perfect moment, to call me out on my laundry mistake, and the best time to do it was when I was unable to immediately respond to the issue. It was funny I could not even be mad at him!

It was one of those days yesterday . . . . .

That day were you driving one way 5 hours(sans air conditioner), staying for an hour and a half then turning right around to drive back 5 hours. That day where you wake up dreading the full 24 upcoming hours. We, Dearest Husband and I, are half way to our dreaded destination when the tire becomes shredded. Not shredded where you can tell it hit something that made it come apart. It was shredded like a shark ate it for lunch and threw it back it up. The only thing I threw up was a few choice words. We had been planning to get new tires for my birthday in 2 weeks.

Disaster averted with a phone call to father in law, who woke up from his nap to rescue us. Well actually Dearest Husband called father in law’s neighbor to go wake him up because we could not get to him by phone. Within an hour we changed cars and were back on the road, this time with air conditioning. We even made it to the dreaded destination with 10 extra minutes to wash our blackened hands from changing the tire. We even got all the way back home by 1:00 am.  

We were dancing in the minefields, and my feet need a rest today.

Dearest Husband VS. Dough

I have just spent all morning preparing dough to make bread today. I got up early and mixed the ingredients, and set it aside to let it rise as I clean around the house. When it comes time to punch down the dough, I decide to ask Dearest Husband if he would like to do the honors. (I usually let the neighbors kids do it because they think it fun to watch it sink.) Dearest Husband gladly obliges and walks up to bowl. But this is not just any bowl; it is a very special bowl from my grandmother who has passed away. As Dearest Husband looks at the dough that has pouched over the sides this strange look passes over his face, a look I have never seen. As he pulls back his fist to his shoulder I realize that look is a focused and stern stare. He is literally going to punch the dough, in my special bowl. All much too fast for my interference, Dearest Husband jabs the beautiful puff with a “whap” that sends me into a hysterics. When I am relieved that the bowl is still in one piece, I am immediately almost on the floor laughing and can’t stop. Dearest Husband has no idea what I think is so funny and is starting to get frustrated with my giggles. I finally get to a place where I can catch my breath and begin to explain that “punching down the dough” it not a real power packed, fighting style punch. It is just making a fist and pressing the dough from the top downward. A simple “oh” from Dearest Husband and his cheeks brightened pink. 
 

I have been focusing lately on not over explaining how to do things that he obviously knows how to do. He may have needed a hint on this one.

P.S. This bread is super easy to make (especially with a kitchen aid), and makes enough loaves to give away one! Challah bread is traditionally Jewish Sabbath bread but I like to enjoy it all week.

Misconception

I walked into church this morning after missing the first two weeks of the series “Getting past your past” and thinking, “I am so glad I have already dealt with my mistakes and poor choices I have made in the past”. I was really hoping something would speak to Dearest Husband, but made an attempt to humble myself and prayed,” Lord, Open my ears to what you have for me this morning” We sat through almost the whole service and I felt like it was a great message, but I had not learned anything new. After all, I have been through two years of counseling as a part of my degree and have forgiven myself, released my guilt, and learned self confidence. I have lived by my own mantra: the choices and mistakes I made brought me to the place I am now, and I like who I am now!   

We start the scheduled ending prayerthen my ears exploded open,and it hit me like a TON of bricks! I am not who I am because of the mistakes and poor choices I made. If I was, I would still be making poor choices and on the same road. DUH…. human rationality is obsolete at times.

I am who I am because of God’s grace and forgiveness. There were people and events in my life that changed my plan, creatively placed by God and His perfect timing. I like who I am because I am who God says I am, not what I have done! Its so obvious now that I was willing to listen to it.

His love never fails: Worship song of the week,check out the video!
I'll pray for you: not so nice, but way funnier ;)

Resume Reflections

P.S. (“pre-script”) You know what is awkward? Being excited about the Maverick’s win last night, sitting next to a Thunder fan who is not nearly as excited.

So this morning I ran and dropped off my resume at the dentist office hoping to get a part time job so that I can continue to quilt and craft on the side. (I have not yet made my millions from this blog) Not wanting to put all my hope into one job I also ventured into OSU’s employment listings and found two full time opportunities available. After sitting here for 3 hours copy and pasting, rewriting, and changing formats I have successfully applied for both openings!

My biggest challenge: attempting to make a restaurant server job sound like you made a difference in the world. This is what I came up with…………. and then laughed.

·         In a fast paced environment, anticipate customer concerns and assimilate information up to 150 guests per evening

·         Maintained safe and hygienic work environment through yearly Food Handlers Certification  

·         Extensive development of guest relations by communications between guests, staff and management, often employing conflict resolution skills nightly

·         Focused on unique guest experiences to sustain a positive attitude while ensuring multiple management objectives are simultaneously exceeded

·         Financial Transactions in excess of $1,500 per evening

I was sure to leave out the nights I went home and cried, the days that I hated the world be because of this job, and of course the fact that I did not make one bit of difference. I remember one of the early days of this job being told by management “You’re expendable”. The sad part is that it was totally true. I trained new servers in attempt to be more efficient, have complete knowledge of the menu and way the restaurant works. It never made a difference, when I left it just kept going the way it had before. I don’t think it ever occurred to me that some people worked there just to pass time in life, not to make a difference or to better anything. They were just treading water and happy staying afloat. I hope that as I am seeking to start my career I don’t ever reach this point. I always want to be making a difference. When I am gone, I want something to prove I was here.

Dearest Husband and His BIG Day Off!

Finally!!! Dearest Husband got a day off, from his regular job anyway, so we had so much to do around the house! We started off by sleeping in until 10:00 followed by a pancake and sausage breakfast (both of which I thought were reason enough to ask him to do a whole bunch of stuff later). We made our list of what needed to be done:

1.       Clear the ground and plan where to put up the pool

2.       Write the 20 thank you notes I have been putting off for a week now

3.       Take the two trash cans of recycling that we have accumulated to the recycle center and sort them

4.       Put the rain gauge in the garden

5.       Install two floor pieces where the carpet meets the tile

6.       Drop off Special Olympics basketball uniforms to the middle school (which was supposed to be the junior high, like dearest husband said, I found out after we drove to the other side of town. Opps!)

7.       Weed the garden

8.       Cut limb down off tree so that the pool has sun, and the tree looks more symmetrical

9.       Take pictures of 50 quilts so that I can post them to ETSY for the quilt guild

We got everything done but the floor pieces that we bought two months ago! Numbers 7,8, and 9  I added to the list after we got them done just so I could cross them off ;)

I believe Dearest Husband would have rather gone to his regular job. 

a wierd way to save the world

I learned some interesting things this past Sunday at church, a very neat look at religion versus following God. This is a quick overview but the full version in online at:  http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch - a weird way to save the world.

Religion is man’s normal attempt to read God. Isaiah 29:13 . The religious laws are there to prove that you aren’t good enough and are completely dependent on God’s gift to us, Christ.

Religion leads to either pride or despair. Pride when you think you have followed all the rules better than others and despair when you reach that feeling when you realize you can’t follow all the rules no matter how hard I try.

Christ is God’s weird way to reach man. Phil. 3:4-9. Honestly the whole story is kind of hard to believe, in this day and age, with all the science we have, but it is possible!