On account of my 100th Post, let me show and tell a few things about myself....

1) I collect perfume. I started when I was a teenager and the mall gave out more than just scented wipes for samples. I use to have more, but I parted with them. The three on top of the decorative box are over or about 15 yrs. old! I do use them just not that much. That's Giorgio in the middle and Liz Clairborne on the right. The one with the greenish bottle -cap top in the front left is the real Samsara oil straight from Egypt!

2) I also like music boxes. The one with the little mice see-sawing on a spatula plays Whistle While you Work. The Precious Moments one says "Friends Never Drift Apart" and it plays That's What Friends are For.

3) I use to stick my head between the two front seats of my grandfather's car and sing. The seats were close enough to each other that it just covered my ears enough to cause the microphone affect. I use to sing real loud in the shower and rather high because it drove my mom crazy. So now you know that I like to sing.

4) I was part of an egg fight at school/out of school in a suppose to be a surprise, "It's your Birthday Bash" at the age of 7. The funny thing is that my mom knew something was up, because I very casually asked her if getting egged hurt.

5) I dissected a human course over a 3 day period at a Medical School with an Anatomy class in some kind of Summer Camp between my Freshman and Sophomore yrs. in High School. I had already decided that I wasn't going to pursue the medical field, so I thought I'd try this out.

6) I also collect scarves that I rarely use now. I just haven't been able to part with them. Because of this, I was able to demonstrate to the 1st and 2nd graders in our co-op what real silk feels like by passing some of these beauties around.

7) I use to trade sandwiches at school because I didn't like ham and peanut butter. Apparently, whoever it was I was swapping with, didn't mind. This happened in South America, Colombia by the way, and peanut butter was not really used much, if ever. My grandmother must have given my mom some she brought home from her trips to the USA and so mom was trying to use it up.

8) I've seen the Redwoods in California, the White House in Washington, D.C., had my honeymoon in Seattle, Washington, visited the squares in Savannah, Georgia and actually lived in one of those big colonial homes on Victory Drive., rode the elevators to the top of the Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, and seen many other states in between. I can say that I'm happily settled where I live.

9) My first real job was as a receptionist for the rectory of the Catholic school parish I attended as a child. By the way, I am not a Catholic now. I was born into the Catholic faith though and remained so till about 14 yrs. of age. I am now what you would call a - Non-Denominational- Born Again -Full Gospel- Fundamental- (of Holiness Doctrines) Christian. Whew! There's a lot to that. To put it simply, I just believe the Bible, nothing but the Bible. I want to follow Jesus so please help me God. (There's a hint of humor in that.)

10) Here's a picture of my family and I. We took this picture in summer 2008.

So there you have it. 100 Posts and now you know me better. Let me know if you do something like this, and I'll come by and read about you.

Yours Truly,

Fences

We have an open lot next to our house that we cleared last year. Clearing it was the best thing we could have done when it comes to maintenance and usage, but there were a few drawbacks. We lost our privacy. When we had the woods next to us no one could see us outside our patio.

There were some nice things that occurred from it too, like getting to know a nice elderly couple above us. They are in their 70s or 80s, probably more like their 80s. While we tilled a garden, Bud would come out and talk to my husband. He would jokingly tease my husband about all the work he put into it. It's almost like it reminded them of how much they liked gardening but because of bodily ailments couldn't really do anymore. His wife got to know my kids. When I would pick green beans she would come out and talk to me. We started a nice friendship, and many nice conversations about all kinds of subjects came forth from meeting them.

Sometimes we wished we had the privacy again though, because they could see any crazy idea we had. And we have lots of them! So eventually, like 3 weeks ago, we rearranged our fence. We had a backhoe come and dig. He moved some fencing around, added some new fencing up, tilled a new area for the garden, and yesterday we went and bought tomato, green and red pepper, and strawberry plants. It's nice to be able to do things without being watched. But I wonder if the elderly couple miss seeing us. The fencing is nice, but in the process I feel like we have stopped being a blessing. There was a cost for our fence that was more than money and labor.




We often build fences to keep us safe from getting hurt and for privacy, and there is a lot of good in that. But sometimes I think we build fences and keep people we could otherwise befriend out or at a safe distance. Yesterday, as I pondered our loss, I thought about my neighbors. Perhaps I'll go visit her sometime soon.

Together...

OK, here I am blogging. Today is my 16Th Year Anniversary. I'm writing this while my husband listens to talk radio over the Internet. It's about 11:30pm. They're talking about Obama and something about the love for the flag. He likes politics and keeps me informed.

We've done a lot of things together in the last 16 years. We've made pumpkin pie together. We've gardened and canned together. We've scraped wallpaper together. We've had 5 children together. We've cried together and laughed together, and even done crazy stunts while driving together. We've ministered together,and moved across the country together....and there are so many more memories we've made together.

As I reflect on my life with this man that I've come to love beyond infatuation, I can truly say he is just what the doctor ordered for me.

I married him at 18. I didn't even have my driver's license. I flunked the driver's test twice and was about to quit.
"Oh, no you don't. You head back in there and make another appointment to take that driver's test."
So I did.
I took piano lessons for several years and when it was time to finally put it to work I told him I couldn't.
"Yes, you can."
And I did. I wasn't very good but I played when it was needed.

Over and over he has been a provider of more than my basic needs. He has been a true friend. The kind that didn't let me have my way and act like a spoiled, selfish wife. (at least not for long) Marriage works out the kinks in a person's character. Jesus brings us back together.

Though we are imperfect, this bond of ours is strong. It was made that way in conflict and in sweet reconciliation. Thereby, making us one. We are at times beloved enemies and best partners in this walk of life. And for that I am so thankful.

Friendship

"They are rich who have friends."
-Scandinavian Proverb

These last couple of years I have thought about this subject of friendship. I'm not talking about coveting the friendship of the world, but about being a friend. I have lots of good acquaintances, specially in the homeschooling world, but few true friends.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother" Proverbs 18:24

So I've endeavored to practice this proverb and learn to be a friend. People often want to have friends but for many reasons don't reach out and make some.

"To have a friend is to have one of the sweetest gifts that life can bring: to be a friend is to have a solemn education of soul from day to day."
-Amy Robertson Brown

I've made three good friendships these last few years. But there's one in particular that touched my heart this weekend. You see this friend and I, come from two different world's, sort of speak, yet we have some things in common and it's so sweet to think I can call her my friend and she can look at me and think the same. To have someone call you that is an honor and humbling too.

"My friend is not perfect-no more am I- and so we suit each other admirably."
-Alexander Smith

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us." - I John 1:8

Friends can be like flower blooms that fade at the end of their season. I have learned there's only one friend that will never leave me. I've also learned that while I have a bosom friend I should take care to be the friend God would want me to be.

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." -Proverbs 27:17

"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." - Romans 14:7

There's something else I find in friendship. There needs to be space. Space to let the other person be a friend. Space to let them walk away. Space to make more friends.

"So long as we love we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend."
-Robert Louis Stevenson

So I dedicate this post to my friends.