Falling Off the Wagon

     Tonight... Jolene and Stacie are cleaning up the kitchen. Jerry is also in the kitchen making his lunch. (He does not allow me to fix his lunch due to former misdemeanors of mine.) I am standing at the end of the counter. Jerry's chocolate truffles gaze up at me. I open the box, viewing them suspiciously. Nobody notices. I pick one up curious as to its insides, I break it in half, hoping for caramel or vanilla or something interesting. Only chocolate. Bummer. Still looks good so I take a bite of the one half. Start chewing...suddenly Jolene notices, shrieks and is after me. I run, grasping the half in one fist and the fourth in the other. She grabs me, both of us laughing and me still chewing for dear life and she admonishing me and trying to wrest the other pieces from my grasp. Stacie is laughing so hard she is on the floor. Jolene gets me out to the wastebasket commanding, "Spit it out!" which I have no intention of doing and pop the other fourth in my mouth which evokes more horror. Somehow the half grasped in the other fist flies out and lands on the floor. Jerry laughing grabs it and throws it into the wastebasket. Somewhere during this time Debi comes up from the basement and looks like she's wondering if we all lost our minds. They call this an intervention. I stick my nose in the air and say I am going to go take a shower. To which, Jolene replies that that is what I should have been doing in the first place.
      The thing they don't know is that I fell off the wagon earlier in the day. I ate three, yes, that's right three not one, not two, but three lemon bars for lunch. I have excuses but I am too tired to name them. Thankfully, the lemon bars are almost gone and hopefully some self-control will reappear. I don't want to give up now so Lord willing and my strength not fail me, I will continue.

Church and Woodcocks

     What a beautiful day! I think I walked four or five miles. I was checking out some birding hot spots and walking the trail. I did not see much but just walking in the sunshine was lovely.
      The brother who had the Sunday School devotions this morning does not like to speak in public and seldom does, but it was very good. First he read first Corinthians twelve. His burden was that our church members don't start nit picking about things that don't matter. That we not make other people in the church carbon copies of each other but that we recognize different gifts and callings. He brought out how he himself grew up with always wearing long sleeves to church and he still does because that is what he feels comfortable with but he is not going to force it on someone else. Really appreciated his burden.
      John preached on the tongue. Very convicting but also inspiring. Lots of scripture to go with it. Did some apologizing on the way home. He brought out how if things come out of our mouth that we wonder where that came from, we need to pause and see what is going on in our heart. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." He also said how we cannot praise God and then run our brother into the ground. This is one that convicted me. Somehow it was also inspiring. The idea of having our hearts so brim full of Jesus that that is what comes out without effort almost.
      Sunday school ministered too. Being citizens of heaven and ambassadors down here. Rhoda read off all that an ambassador does. Very inspiring. I asked if she would send them to me and she said she would. When she does I will try and share them.
      Then tonight Stacie and I met Joy at some cut over land and listened and watched the Woodcocks. This was on my list of things to do this spring and now I have experienced it. Woodcocks are birds, by the way. They do their courting at dusk, when it is almost dark. Thankfully, it was still light enough for us to see.
       I think this coffee and tea is increasing my energy because I seem to have more stamina and awakeness by far than I did before. I am definitely shrinking because I fit into clothes I haven't in a good while. Yay! I have lost twenty-seven pounds so far. Grin.
     

Tea and Coffee

    I have been stalled in the weight loss department. Still on the diet but not getting anywhere fast. I started praying for help in some way to get it accomplished. By the way, I decided that a person my age can pretty much exist on nothing. Anyway, I got an invitation to a tea and coffee party and was not sure if I wanted to go, so I googled it and decided I would. I think I might have the answer.
    A healthier version of coffee and tea with herbs, etc. and it helps lose weight and is also good for your mind and gives you energy but not the terrific let down that caffeine does. Anyway, I am excited about it and hopeful. I have to have more faith in prayer and watch for answers when I do pray.
   

An Ode To Watersavers

     Everything is now made to save water. Faucets, dishwashers, toilets and washers. This is not a positive ode. It is an annoyed ode. Living with watersavers is a study in stupidity. Take the dishwasher, if you have to rinse each dish and practically wash them, explain to me how this saves water. When the guy installed the dishwasher he warned me that it is a lot quieter and a watersaver, hence more or less useless. I need Tim The Tool Man Taylor. 

     Oh, and the faucets. Start filling a bucket, prepare to clean up the kitchen while it fills and you will get most of it done. Problems may occur if you have a short attention span and go do something else while the sink is filling. Getting distracted can result in overflowing and more work.

     Toilets may decide to just skip the actual flushing unless you hold the handle down. And this saves water how? 

     Now for the ultimate pet peeve: watersaver washers. My old washer gave out so we got a front loader watersaver. It is not a laughing matter. How do you expect to wash dirty clothes without water and plenty of it? Just how?! My observations are that all this tumbling wears out clothes faster, (How is this economical?) there is no soak for extra dirty clothes, (How can you soak something without water?) clothes do not get as clean even though it washes and tumbles for a long time, (This is the greatest annoyance!) (I started putting in extra laundry detergent on the clothes. NOT economical!) Maybe some people who work in offices and don't do manual labor can use these washers with impunity, but this family gets dirty and needs something that actually cleans.

Just to sum it up, wears out clothes, does not get them clean and is not economical as far as soap is concerned but by all means save water!

     There. I have vented. I would really appreciate it if the government got out of our lives with all their rules and regulations. Don't they have anything better to do?! Sorry, I still had several sentences of venting.

     I will now count my blessings to get in a better frame of mind. I am thankful that I saw a Fox Sparrow at my feeders today. A first. I am thankful for the snow. Also thankful that it was not too bad so that Stacie can return tomorrow. I am thankful for a new orange cake mix and frosting that Chris likes. Also thankful for banana bread to feed my family. Thankful for a whole day at home. Thankful that the electricity stayed on and that the laundry is done. Thank-you Jolene. Thankful for a funny morning with Debi and Jolene. Thankful for Chris playing the piano. Thankful that the renters did not move into the house that still has no water. Thankful that I can be in a house that is relatively warm tonight. Sixty-five is better than ten degrees. God is good even when the frustrations of an overbearing government get heavy. The greatness and awesomeness of God has been freshly impressed on me recently and that we make Him too common. Lord, help us to be reverent and to believe You and take You at Your word.

      

I Reckon

    I get the feeling that my posts are becoming farther and farther apart. Very sleepy but guess the time has come for another one.
    Yes, I am still on my watching fast. My birthday is not here yet but approacheth fast. A tinsy bit over a month. Feel a bit bewildered as to what will happen after it is over. Jerry encouraged me. He said, "You are doing what God wants you to do right now. When the fast is over, you look for what God wants you to do then." or something to that effect. It is scary. I would feel safer with a hedge of rules.
    The diet is still on, though I have cheated a few times. I am finding it very difficult. I am not very imaginative when it comes to food. Plus taking the time to actually cook extra stuff for myself is tedious so I don't. The food gets gruesomely boring. Bleh! I noticed something yesterday though, that was interesting. I really wanted to cheat but made myself a salad. After eating it, I felt good and no temptation. Trying to learn from this.
     Now for thanks.
     I am thankful for Connor Flynn our grandbaby. So precious and tiny. Thankful for his parents Brandon and Melissa and seeing their love for him.
     I am thankful for a healing God, who heals past hurts and physical ailments as well. Thankful for Jesus blood that was shed on the cross, that cleanseth from sin and washes us white as snow. Thankful that it also washes us from the sins of others. Thankful for His gentle Holy Spirit that leads and guides and that gives us
power over all the power of the enemy.
     Thankful for Mom and Dad and Mom's testimony of answered prayer. How instead of being irritated with each other they are blessing each other. How when you really want what is right and pray, God does answer, no matter how old. It is never too late.
     I am thankful for hardworking men. Jerry and Chris have the shingles on Chris's house. Rather exciting! I wouldn't mind if Jerry slowed down a bit though.
     I am thankful that spring is on the way. I will appreciate spring more this year. But I am kinda looking forward to the wintery mix we are supposed to get tomorrow. Don't kill me. :)