03/03/08

Sorry for not posting over the weekend. One thing led to another on top of still not feeling 100% and here it is Monday again. I must say I do feel better than I did, but this stuff likes to linger. At least I felt more like myself, though.

My pictures of today are of a violin that my friend believes is around 100 years old. It is beautiful and has scratches and even a "break" in it, but it shows character. It is very fragile but yet strong and plays the most beautiful melody. My friend says that these play better than the newer ones. I can believe it.

I tried to take pictures of a hawk (Mikayla affectionately calls her Brittany) that likes to perch at Mom and Daddy's and eat the suet they put out for her. I set up my tripod and had everything JUST RIGHT to capture the image of her tearing into the fat. Did she come? Did she even attempt to grab any of the suet? NO! Instead I took pictures of Wesley holding his new snail friend. Pictures that I just took because I didn't have a bird in my viewfinder. lol My snail and Wesley pictures didn't turn out all that inspirational so they are not on here. Plus, I have been too "lazy" to upload them onto the computer in the last day.

This past weekend had many laughs and a few tears shed. I'll share my laughs first...

Since Steve was out of town, I drove his truck around. He has recently had to get a "new" one (used) due to some issues with his other one. This new one is a bit different and I needed to figure it out so I decided while he was golfing I would "play." It drives very nice, but when you aren't used to a vehicle it can present some problems. My first problem was regular parking spaces. Now, I can wheel around my van (the Golden Chariot) into any space, anytime... but this one I haven't had enough experience with so I preferred to park it AWAY from people. lol Then, that evening I went out with my best friend and her family. They were treating us to dinner and a movie since Steve was out of town. Well, the dinner was in downtown Raleigh and I had to parallel park. BUT... before I could parallel park, I came to the uneasy realization that I had to figure out how to get on the other side of the street to park. I figured I would just turn around in a parking lot area close by. I seemed to have forgotten just how SMALL those little parking lot areas are in downtown. Now, remember, I cannot park this thing very comfortably yet so here I am going forward and backward until FINALLY I made a 23 point turn instead of a 3 point turn in this parking lot so that I could go the other way down the street. My best friend was laughing quite hard at this point. Thankfully, this new truck has one of those sensors on the back that tells you when you are close to backing over something. Boy, have I needed THAT in my lifetime.

Anyway, we left that parking area and I found the area where I had to parallel park. It was right in FRONT of the open windows of the restaurant where we were eating. I don't remember the last time I parallel parked, let alone in a stinking truck. I proceed to recall what to do from 20 years ago in Driver's Ed with Mr. Michael at Garner Highschool.... Didn't work, really, because my parallel park was more like "How many times can Kellie go in and out of a space???" There was a guy on the street laughing at me and by this time my best friend was laughing so hard she was crying. I was, too... I finally parked the beast the best that I could and decided to get out and move forth. When we walked into the restaurant I KNOW the people that welcomed us were laughing.... they had these "looks" on their faces. I tried to be non-chalant and not let it bother me. I felt pretty silly, though. LOL I figure I gave someone a good laugh that they needed that day.

Later that night we went to see the movie Enchanted. It was a really cute movie and I am glad we went. After we saw the movie, Mikayla had to go to the bathroom... such is life with a girl. When we got into the bathroom, there were several ladies in front of us and a long line began forming. I noticed the first stall was never being used, but didn't want to jump in front of the other women until they had been taken care of. Some people just don't like using the first one, or either they thought it was broken. There were several issues with this bathroom. Well, the next thing I know, these three teeny boppers come running past everyone in line, through the door and when they saw that the first stall was open, they proceeded to "celebrate" their fortune and started to go in. Well, something came over me at that instant... something that I didn't realize I would EVER DO. I loudly asked those girls if they did not see that there was a long line of people waiting patiently? I told them to get out of the stall and go get in line and wait like everybody else!!!! The teacher in me came out is all I know... Inside I kept thinking "WHAT are you doing?????" At the same time, I was so tired of people being rude and especially young people who think they "own the place" and they are entitled to do what they want. Those girls had a look of shock on their face that someone would actually tell them to get out of the stall. lol They moved away, finally, after I told them a couple of times to get out of the stall, and once I knew the woman in front of me was where she needed to be, I ushered my Mikayla girl to the awaiting first stall. Now, I still can't believe I did that, but at least those girls will think twice (I hope) before breaking in line in front of people again. I tell you... I am becoming my mother. lol

On my sad note, we had a couple of older gentlemen in our church pass away this past week. One of them we had just started to get to know as he and his wife hadn't been coming to our church for very long. We just saw him last Sunday. He wasn't doing very well but was supposed to have tests run last week to find out what was going on with his heart. He had a massive heart attack on Wednesday and he went downhill from there and passed away early Saturday morning. My heart broke when I got to church yesterday morning and found out the news. It makes me realize, yet again, the brevity of life. The Bible tells us in James that life is like a vapor. The older I get the more clearer that becomes. We are not promised tomorrow... no one is. The thing that we are promised is that God sent His Son for us. Do you know Him? Has He entered into your heart, your life? Only through Jesus Christ is their life after death. I know Mr. Bill is rejoicing with his Savior right now and I am comforted by that. It still makes me sad to know he was right there behind me in church last Sunday and the next Sunday he was gone.

My brother's blog is coming along nicely. :) He posted something really neat yesterday about our pastor saying we are all born when we were born for a reason and for God's glory. He made some good points about it, too. Read his post from yesterday and you'll see what I mean.

Another one of my friends, Mary-Claudia, has joined the blogging world. She was Wesley and Mikayla's Kindermusik teacher and I am so happy to see she is posting. It will allow me to "catch up" with her. She has read my blog since the time I began it. I have added her as well to my links.

It seems I have chatted and gone on and on enough tonight. I have already graded papers, and should be doing some other things, but I think I will be hitting the couch. This has been a crazy day and tomorrow proves to be the same. Have a good evening, cherish the days the Lord has given you, and try to have a good chuckle over my parallel parking....