It's Good to be home!

Well now, lets see....it's been a while since the last post which was.....can't remember back that far. Guess that means it's been long enough. Yes indeedy, we went cruising to the land where Mexicans can, and are willing to speak English. Too bad we had to travel thousands of miles to find out that fact, but that's all I'm gonna say about that. The bathing suit...yeah it fit and I really shouldn't have been so self-conscious about that whole ordeal....all my important parts were well covered with the exception of those few parts that got broiled, blistered and downright crispy crittered. Not for me to judge, but some of our fellow cruisers should have been a little more courteous. There are just some body parts that NOBODY needs to be subjected to unless under the care of a licensed professional. They obviously took the phrase "what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico" a bit too literal.....and that's all I'm going to say about that. All in all it was a fantastic get-a-way. We saw ancient pyramids, swam in pristine water, met some very flavorful folks, and just enjoyed each other away from life and living. We did however experience a little excitement on the last leg of our cruise that tickles me now but caused me to make sure my relationship with Jesus is in good standing. Not really sure what happened....only the captain knows for sure and he's not talking. At 12:55 pm, on the last full day, our boat suddenly listed, they say 12 degrees....whatever. All I know it was shear panic for those with a fresh drink in their hands. The swimming pools and hot tubs emptied out completely....people and all. The gift shops, liquor shops, bars....any shop with lots of glass was trashed, and the dining halls looked like a grade school food fight was in full swing. Ross and I were on the Serenity Deck which means no obnoxious, ill-behaved children were allowed. We had purposely on purpose left our sweet,well behaved children at home....so be it. Anyhoo, for about two minutes, we were deciding if we should save the bucket of beer if we went over or just save ourselves....beer might come in handy if we had to float for too long. Funny how nobody remembered to go to their "designated area" in case of an emergency. People just grabbed their life jackets in one hand, their beer in the other and hoped for the best. People have a strange way of dealing with life-threatening situations, no matter how small. Shortly, everything righted itself and life on a floating city was back to normal. There was a heart-attack victim, several broken bones and a few got stitched up...luckily there was 200 nurses on board for a convention....and after the free party in the Starlight Lounge, I was feeling pretty good about the whole incident. Looking back, Ross had wanted to just do an all-inclusive vacation at a resort. But after the Haiti earthquake,I just couldn't bring myself to stay in some tall building built by who knows who. I figured I would be much safer in a boat....Till next time, adios

Bathing Suit....Take 2

Well now, where does our story pick up? Ah yes....right after I received my package all the way from Michegan. I was almost afraid to open it. How many times have I gone through this...how many times have I tried on clothing that wasn't what I envisioned. You always think you're gonna look like the model that is advertising the whatever it is you're interested in....you know it's true. And inevitable, they will have a size 0 model advertising a size 16 article thinking we aren't smart enough to know the difference. Anyhoo, back to the bathing suit at large. Well as a matter of fact it was NOT large....I've had training bras that were bigger than what was sent. The bottoms were perfect, and the fabric was pretty but oh my.... if this is an E cup, I must be WAY up the alphabet somewhere. What does come after ... E? Well, I did what any responsible disgruntled customer would do....I gave them a call. I won't go into all the details of my frustrating conversation with a receptionist who obviously stuffs, but I will say that I am sending that intsy bitsy excuse for a bikini top back and I'm including my new bra along with, so they will have an idea of what a woman of my stature needs, so the girls can be covered up....till next time, adios.

In Search of a Bathingsuit...part one

Been on the hunt for a "modest" bathing suit of sorts for an upcoming cruise my husband planned for us in April. The search for this elusive suit actually began years prior to this. I'm baffled why men's board shorts are a generous 20" in length and the women's are....well your cheekies would be in danger of getting sunburned. So I googled "long women's boardshorts" and most of the sights had them a whole 7" long and the cute ones were all the way up to a size 11...whoa! Well now.... I'm 5'10" and weigh in the 170 range and a size 11, 7" short ain'ta gonna work. If you go plus size, you get to look at a 450 lb model in a swimdress and a pair of panties. People don't need to see the junk in your trunk and I don't want to show all my 47 year old parts to nobody outside of my husband, who's junk is as old as mine...so there you go. Going one step further, if I were a milk cow, I would be considered a holstein, not a jersey. Finding tops that cover the mammies are...well, impossible unless you've had circus balloons implanted and I have not. I'm thinking seriously about finding some matching pillowcases and making my own. So the search continues.... till next time, adios.

God and Science

God & Science; Very good read!! A professor of science & philosophy begins his school year with a lecture to his students. The professor pauses before his class, 'Let me explain the problem science has with religion. He then asks one of his new students to stand. 'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?' 'Yes sir,' the student says. 'So you believe in God?' 'Absolutely.' 'Is God good?' 'Sure! God's good.' 'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?' 'Yes.' 'Are you good or evil?' 'The Bible says I'm evil.' The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!' He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you...Let's say there's a sick person and you can cure him. Would you help him? Would you try?' 'Yes sir, I would.' 'So, you are good!' 'I wouldn't say that.' 'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could, but God doesn't.' The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good, Hmmm? Can you answer that one?' The student remains silent. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?' 'Er...yes,' the student says. 'Is Satan good?' The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.' 'Then where does Satan come from?' The student falters. 'From God.' 'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?' 'Yes, sir.' 'Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God made everything, correct?' 'Yes.' 'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, and since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.' Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?' The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.' 'So who created them?' The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?' The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.' The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?' 'No sir. I've never seen Him.' 'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?' 'No, sir, I have not.' 'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?' 'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.' 'Yet you still believe in him?' 'Yes.' 'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?' 'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.' 'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.' At the back of the room another student stands quietly for a moment before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?' 'Yes,' the professor replies. 'There's heat.' 'And is there such a thing as cold?' 'Yes, son, there's cold too.' 'No sir, there isn't.' The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest: 458 degrees.' 'Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir , just the absence of it.' Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer. 'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?' 'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?' 'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not some thing. It is the absence of some thing. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?' The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?' 'My point is this professor; your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must also be flawed.' The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?' 'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?' 'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.' 'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?' The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed. The student continues; 'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now, not a scientist, but a preacher?' The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?' Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I guess you'll have to take them on faith.' 'So, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Uncertain, the professor responds; 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.' The student replies, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.' The professor sat down. If you read this all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, please share God & Science.

White Lie Cake

Have you ever told a white lie? You are going to love this, especially those who bake for church events. Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church Ladies' Group in Tuscaloosa , but forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets, found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing, and helping her son pack for Scout camp. When Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured. She thought, "Oh dear, there is not time to bake another cake." This cake was important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church and in her new community of friends. So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom - a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect. Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the moment it opened at and to buy the cake and bring it home. When Amanda arrived at the sale, she found the attractive, perfect cake had already been sold. She grabbed her cell phone and called her mom. Alice was horrified - she was beside herself. Everyone would know! What would they think? She would be ostracized, talked about, and ridiculed! All night, Alice lay awake in bed thinking about People pointing fingers at her and talking about her behind her back. The next day, Alice promised herself she would try not to think about the cake and would attend the fancy luncheon and bridal shower at the home of a fellow church member and just try to have a good time. Alice did not want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at Alice because she was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa . But, having already RSVP'd, she couldn't think of a believable excuse to stay home. The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South and, to Alice 's horror, the cake in question was presented for dessert! Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake! She started out of her chair to tell the hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!" Alice still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, "Thank you, I baked it myself." Alice smiled and thought to herself, "God is good."

Does The Flag Still Wave?

Anticipating a new year is almost like looking forward to a trip to the dentist. You know there will be pain, it's gonna be expensive, and there's no guaranteed results - but hopefully something good will come from it. No I am not a pessimist, but after this past year of economic, spiritual, and moral upheaval, I am a bit cautious. As the old saying goes, " I love my country, but I'm afraid of my government." And yes indeedy, I also know that God is still on the throne; that He's well aware of where we're at and where we're going as a people and a nation, but I tire of watching the livelihood of good people being tossed away by environmental terrorists, the welfare of animals overriding the holocaust of unborn children, and the influx of immoral filth being accepted, let alone celebrated.

Check out this video. It aired on Hal Lindsey a few months ago, and I thought it was awesome. We need more of these brave souls speaking up on our nation's behalf!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpQOCvthw-o

Twas A Night....

Twas a night in December, we were all sawing logs, not a critter was stirring not even my dogs.....the leftovers were stored in the icebox with care, in hopes that a branding crew would not soon be here. The cattle were nestled all snug in their pens, while memories of warmer days haunted their dreams. The kids were all home from their lives far away and Karli just wanted to piddle and play. When out in the yard there arose a commotion, a skunk was again outside taking a notion. Away to the window, I tripped over clutter, I closed all the windows and tried not to mutter. The moon looking down on the fresh fallen snow, gave my dogs the advantage to chase off their foe. The skunk had the last word, the dogs he did drench, what do you do with dogs covered in stench?? The night finally ended, I'm glad that it's done, Merry Christmas to all, now wasn't that fun? Till next time, adios.