2:22 A.M.

Monday, Home.

I’m sorry I neglected you.

I’ve been in such a weird mood lately, but now I understand. I started my period today, so I guess I should have known better. I don’t like to think that I get emotional because of such a thing, but I guess I do. After all, I tend to get really down right before it begins, and once it does I’m either really happy or really depressed.

No wait, I’m pretty alright at the moment. I don’t feel happy but I don’t feel sad. I’m just ok.

Moving forward, I received some great encouragement today. The guy didn’t know that he had helped me, I know, but it meant a lot to me. He told me he was impressed with how I put Jesus first in my life. He also told me that he respected me because of all I don’t do. For instance, drugs, sex, and drinking alcohol. I know this was God trying to show me one of the reasons why refraining from these things are good. I’m glad He reminded me in time. Or rather, that I listened.

He works in mysterious ways, and sometimes I get so mad at Him that I say things I shouldn’t, but He is certainly the best.

So I just wanted to let you know how I’m doing Diary. Today was pretty good so I don’t have any complaints. Well, except for a rather bad dinner experience at Apple Bee’s, haha. The cooks there must have sucked because it took them a long time to give us anything. To say the least, my family isn’t going there anymore. I probably will though. My dinner didn’t get messed up so… Oh, and we went to Dairy Queen after that. I know it’s the winter but hey, ice cream is always good. :]

That’s really all I have to say today.

P.S.
The encouragement got mentioned when I was speaking of Three Days Grace. I had said if I didn’t have Jesus, I would be after Adam Gontier. Haha!

P.P.S.
It’s now 4:27 A.M. I have sewing lessons today at 10. I should probably get some sleep, but seeing as how I got up so late today (3 p.m.) that probably won’t happen. I’ve really messed up my sleeping pattern. Also, I feel fat. I’m going to run tomorrow, hopefully. I’m going to try and lose five pounds, or at least get whatever abs I had back. Maybe I’ll throw in some lunges or go to the gym too.

For those who understand and appreciate the quality of printers, the Brother range of machines should be considered one of the best. Brother MFC-8045D toner Brother HL-8045D printer is a combination of multi-center, combination printer, scanner and copier in one device. Like other machines, brother, that can be used to provide the highest quality results with each use.

This force Brother fifty-page ADF, aThat hold the tray 250-sheet paper tray and an output that can with a capacity of 150 sheets. This printer is able to manage all print jobs, but if you can have a wider plateau of entry, the second tray option added to take care of your work larger. The DCP-8045D accepts various types and sizes of media, transparencies, plain paper and recycled paper and envelopes will all pass through the machine and produce high quality results you expect.

PrinterThe DCP-8045D is a laser printer produces high quality copies at a fast 21 pages per minute, to help move your work. The resolution is 2400 x 600 dpi (HQ1200), ensuring that they are crisp, clean print every time. A common feature is the two-sided printing, so hassle-free double-sided copies without making changes.

DMF can be used with Windows and Mac via USB and parallel ports. It comes with 32 MBMemory and can be increased to 160 MB, if necessary, to your best. This makes it a versatile printer in his office have, especially if you use different machines.

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The reduction or expansion of the ability to copy the Brother DCP-8045D is 25% – 400%, and can operate in stand-alone photocopier. Copy and sort documents at 21 copies per minute.

Its use, however small or home office with a multifunction printer and the Brother DCP-8045D is compact enough to be very little space. It comes with 3 years –Warranty for your peace of mind and security. We can expect many years of trouble feel free, scan and copy this model Brother.

As this Christmas season winds down, I am thinking about how people have lost the real meaning of the holiday. We all see people in stores going after toys and electronics and all that stuff as if there were solid gold in the boxes or something, and we all hear about presents and all that stuff. But one thing we all need to keep in mind is that there is more to the holiday then just giving and receiving gifts.

This is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. This is a holiday to not only celebrate that, but to also celebrate what Jesus was all about. No, not campaigning against that evil old “health care reform” thing, but showing love, compassion, acceptance, generosity, and all the evil socialist stuff like that. Even if you are not a Christian, it’s still a great time to celebrate those values, cause those are not only Christian values, they are common sense values; they are human values.

“Oh, well, I donate to the Salvation Army every year!”

Okay, that’s good. But what else do you do, besides just eat and give and receive gifts?

“…”

What people need to realize is, those values should, morally, go further than the Christmas season, and also go further than just the typical stuff most people do. Every person – Christians, Muslims, Jews, agnostics, atheists, Pastafarians, everyone – has a moral obligation to show these values every single day of their life.

There are many problems out there that these values should be exercised towards that don’t get much airtime in the media and aren’t on most peoples’ minds. For one, it’s about realizing that people can’t always help themselves, and sometimes need help from others or the government, contrary to what a lot of conservatives and libertarians would have you believe. Health care is a perfect example. During the main debate, and even now during the conference committee period, conservatives and libertarians, brainwashed by the whole Reagan mantra about government being evil, have been bitching about the effort to cover people who need it and save lives in the process, despite the fact that this would save lives. “Oh, they just need to get a better job.” “They need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps!” “Why are they complaining? They are required by law to be accepted at the hospital!” Newsflash – they may not be able to just find a better job, ’cause it’s not that simple. As for that last line, perhaps it escapes those people that after they get released they will likely have a lifetime of debt on their hands. Thankfully, there are people that realize how wrong that is. A lot of the righties don’t, though. Frankly, I think a lot of them are just devoid of hearts at all.

In addition, there are other things, like helping the lonely. Once again, it’s often not as simple as “just going out and finding friends”, especially for people like me, because of little problems like rejection and not fitting in. In fact, I believe that this is one of the biggest issues that need to be tackled by good citizens. If there is someone like me out there – someone who has been shunned and is lonely, perhaps missing out on youth, something like that – reach out and be like a brother/sister to them. If they’re like me, and never enjoyed school because of loneliness and such, help them recover their lost youth by doing fun things and making memories. Don’t stop there though – provide them a friend for life. You will be providing a great service. In fact, if you have done something like that in the past, or are planning to do something to that extent, email me the message for possible publication on a future section of my website and/or this blog.

It’s amazing how many people I have talked to that have deficits in one or more of these values act when I bring up facts like this. One guy in particular tried to say “well, giving gifts is helping people!” Well, he’s right. But that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Other pieces include helping to solve societal problems, helping the jobless get jobs, feeding the hungry, and yes, befriending the lonely. There are many other things in that category too.

Also tying into all this is love. Not fake love, but real love. Boy oh boy are we short on love in this world. We all have a responsibility year round to show real love to our friends, those in need, and citizens in general. It’s not the kind of love where you hug someone and place a “Kick Me” sign on their back, it’s real love. If someone’s in need and frustrated about the issue (like me with loneliness), don’t get on their case and treat them badly in any way, help them through it all the way. Don’t do mean little things to them.

On future Christmases, and year round, remember that this holiday is not just about consumerism and food. It’s about love, helping others, and celebrating the birth and values of Jesus. In fact, I gave a speech about it at my church last Sunday, the audio of which is on YouTube.

Speaking of church, and Christianity in general, I am a progressive Christian, and am a big promoter of progressive thought in Christian matters (although the church I attend is not really in the progressive category), such as what you’ll find in an earlier post about analyzing Bible context and using reason about LGBT issues. For a summary about what we’re all about, check out this page on the Center for Progressive Christianity’s website. Look for a post on it sometime in the future. My next post will probably be one about sports culture and how it is poisoning our society, among other things, as this is an issue that hits very close to home.

Hello Loves!

I am active member of a group I like to call P.H.V.I – People Helping Via Internet. There are a few online sites I like to go to in my free time that benefit those in need.

For instance, my home page is www.thehungersite.com. On this site there is a button I click everyday that gives food to a hungery person in the world. There are also other tabs on the site for various causes. There is the Breast Cancer tab which if you click the button, you give a free mammogram to woman in need. There is also the Rain Forest tab which if you click the button, you help protect 11.4 square feet of the rain forest! The site is also an online shop. You can go shopping for accessories and help save the rain forest at the same time!

Another site I visit occasionally www.freerice.com. This site is a quiz type of place. For every correct answer, the Free Rice group donates 10 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger. I once earned 10,000 grains of rice in one day! It’s really fun and builds IQ points. Categories include famous artist, chemistry symbols, multiplication, vocabulary, world geography, and language learning.

Overall, people are in need all over the world. Join my group of P.H.V.I and make a difference.

<3 Shelbie M

I truly relate to the lyrics in the song “If We Are the Body” by Casting Crowns, and have experienced some of the same judgmental glances, and wondered where is God’s message of forgiveness, grace, love, hope, and peace portrayed in his people.  More often than not when I share my story of how God delivered me from a life of abuse and all that I became due to that abuse; I was then outcast, felt betrayal, unaccepted, overlooked, told that my help is not needed when volunteers were asked for.  I was seen as who I once was not as the person God has created me to be today (A person who God delivered from the trials of life, loved, forgave, and gave a passion for the abused to, who can truly understand their pain).  I have wondered time and again how anyone can possibly say God is a God of Love, Grace, Forgiveness, Hope, and Peace and then everything about there words and actions show everything opposite to what they profess. How can they wonder why the world wants nothing to do with this God they profess?  Don’t they know that the only Jesus they see is in the life they themselves lead?  I believe it is time for the Church to plead for forgiveness and once again allow God to love, forgive, show grace, hope, peace, giving, and all that they profess God is to those around them?  Who did Jesus spend time with when He walked this Earth?  Would He want to spend time with you, or would he correct you as he did the Pharisee’s?  Didn’t He spend most of His time with the down and out, the prostitute, and the tax collector?  Didn’t He come to save the lost not condemn them?  If all this is true then why do you feel the need to condemn them?  I thought we weren’t supposed to continue the love, healing, peace, and hope that Jesus showed us during His time on this Earth. Are you better than Jesus, that you feel it necessary to condemn, and judge those that have not had the same opportunities as you?  Do your actions show what you claim you believe?

Lyrics to “If We Are the Body” by Casting Crowns 

It’s crowded in worship today
as she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girls’ teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
farther than they know

But if we are the body
why aren’t His arms reaching
why aren’t His hands healing
why aren’t His words teaching

And if we are the body
why aren’t His feet going
why is His love not showing them there is a way
there is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
the weight of their judgmental glances tells him that his chances
are better out on the road

But if we are the body
why aren’t His arms reaching
why aren’t His hands healing
why aren’t His words teaching

And if we are the body
why aren’t His feet going
why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus paid much to high a price for us to pick and choose who should come
and we are the body of Christ

If we are the body
why aren’t His arms reaching
why aren’t His hands healing
why aren’t His words teaching

And if we are the body
why aren’t His feet going
why is His love not showing them there is a way

If we are the body
why aren’t His arms reaching
why aren’t His hands healing
why aren’t His word teaching

And if we are the body
why aren’t His feet going
why is His love not showing them there is a way

Jesus is the way

[source]

Here’s an interesting look at the Santa lie.

A great idea for DIY wrapping paper.

Easy ways to get off the naughty list (even if it’s a little late).

Essentially, my Christmas wish list.

Some alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree.

Download “Last Christmas” by Florence + the Machine for free.

Have a beautiful Christmas! Enjoy a day of food, presents, and best of all family.

Peace,

Every day children are sent to jail, not for heinous crimes.  Most are sent for non-violent crimes, and to adult prisons at that.  Can you imagine leaving your room, warm bed, computer, internet, games, books, comics, cartoons, parties, cellphones, and everything else you enjoy in life.  See in jail, you may have television but you have to watch it with over 50 other people who may not like to watch the things you like.  It’s real and happening every day.  To your friends, family, and can happen to you.  I would like to know your thoughts on this topic because children like you are the victims and the only ways we (adults) can help is by listening to you.  What do you need to keep you from getting caught up?  What do you see in your daily life that would help us know how to help you.  It’s time your true voice come out.

To read the NY Time post, click here.

December 9, 2009 the Day School Student Council went to downtown Birmingham, Alabama and handed out coats, blankets, and sweaters as well as canned goods to the homeless. They were able to collect over 20 coats, 6 sweaters, and 10 blankets. And tons of cans.  Thank you for your goodwill towards man and your hard work.

Being a new mum, while very rewarding can also be very isolating … couple that with moving to a new town and you can imagine how lonely for friendship I was during the first few months of my oldest son’s life in the new town we’d just moved to.

So, in search of friends for myself and my son, I pushed aside the worries of becoming a suburban, keeping up with the Joneses, bunko-loving, Stepford wife and joined the local mother’s group.

And. I. Never. Looked. Back.

I made the most wonderful group of friends through this little mom’s group I joined 13 years ago.  And, our children are the same.  Over the years we’ve watched them grow up together and counted our wrinkles and gray hairs!

For a few years now, the same group of friends, instead of exchanging gifts have been having our kids give back to charity specifically at Christmas time.  This year, we organized for them to help out at the local soup kitchen.

A couple of Sundays ago I arrived with my two older boys armed with our food donations unsure exactly what to expect other than to know there would be many people in need.  The food was being donated by a local Italian restaurant on that day so there would be no need for the kids to be peeling potatoes — it took a while, but they were all put to work.

And, how.

They worked hard and were so kind to everybody there … even the grumpy lady volunteer who didn’t like them helping her with her toiletry donation table!  They helped set up, serve food, pour lemonade and clear the tables.  They spoke to those sitting alone and gave encouraging smiles to everyone.  We were all so very proud of each and every one of them.

It was very eye-opening for my boys to see that the homeless and needy are people just like you or me.  I think what really touched them was to see the small children, sitting there, smiling and eating everything that was put before them without complaint.  Needless to say, they came away from it all feeling very humbled and thankful … as did I.

What made me most proud was that on the way home, they asked if we could go back on a regular basis to help out.  I think just hearing that was the best Christmas present this mum could hear.

Another tear jerker for the season in an e-mail from Karen Bondurant:

‘Friends are God’s way of taking care of us.’

This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die – I barely managed to coast into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn’t even turn over… Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the quickie mart building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her.. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat) , and the gas pump reading $4.95..

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying ‘I don’t want my kids to see me crying! ,’ so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, ‘And you were praying?’ That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, ‘He heard you, and He sent me.’

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald’s and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn’t have money to pay rent Jan. 1 , and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spok en in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas , but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, ‘So, are you like an angel or something?’

This definitely made me cry. I said, ‘Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.’

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else’s miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I’ll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won’t find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings…

Psalms 55:22 ‘ Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.’

My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless, especially for the months left in 2009 , and I picked you.

Please pass this to four people you want to be blessed and a copy back to me.
Here is the prayer:

‘Father, I ask You to bless my children, grandchildren, friends, relatives and email buddies reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. Holy Spirit , I ask You to minister to their spirit this very moment.. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubt , release a renewed confidence through Your grace, In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.’

I know I picked more than four — you can, too.

When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, ‘Jesus, could You please get that for me.

Don’t tell God how big your storm is, Tell the storm how big your God is!!

Recently I had a phone conversation with a cousin of mine who is mentally handicapped. She often calls looking to just have company, to just be able to talk and while sometimes it’s annoying to listen to her repeat the same things over and over, I love her and wouldn’t have the phone calls stop for anything.

The last time we spoke she asked me how a particular person was doing and I said “Oh, I think they are fine. Haven’t heard from them in awhile.” I didn’t really think too much more about it as I wasn’t going to bother calling this person just to see how they were doing-in all honesty, I didn’t care how they were doing.

Then this morning as I lay in bed debating whether I really wanted to get up and start my busy day, I got to thinking about my cousin’s question. Then I was astounded at the simple nature of it all. My cousin as not seen this individual in years and when they did meet, it was very brief. However, my cousin remembered and simply wanted to know if they were doing ok.

I got to thinking about this and I wondered how often we healthy individuals bother to stop and think about the people in our lives, acquaintances or not. I wondered if we really stop and take a look around at the people and realize that we are all connected and that everyone should be checked on.

So often we go through our daily lives, tending to our needs, our to do lists, being heavily influenced with this “Me Generation” stuff, that we rarely stop to think about the needs of others. It usually takes a holiday or tragedy before we realize that we can make a difference to other people.

I am at fault for this as too often I’m too worried about what I’m going to get done for myself. I rarely stop to think about how other’s are doing, but now that my cousin has posed the question: “how are they doing”, I’m going to make a stronger effort to take note and help when I can, where I can, how I can and who I can.

I’ve posted my goals here. That’s what I started this blog for…a way to publicly say what I was going to do with my life so that I couldn’t back down. Ironically all the goals I stated that I wanted were never really dealt with. I still have not saved the money, but I have paid a lot of  bills. I did get rid of the cement pile, which was huge. But there was and has been for many years a goal that’s been on my list. I dared not say it for I’ve disappointed myself more often than not with this goal.    It was to quit smoking. No kidding. I tried many times to quit. And I’ve quit for months only to go back and start all over again. Well, unintentionally I got the biggest goal of all. I told somebody who was having major problems of the drug addiction kind that if they could stay clean I would quit smoking. If they could do it, I would too. It was my support for somebody else that made me keep a promise that I’ve failed to keep for 27 years…repeatedly. Now don’t get me wrong, I still want to do it. I think about it night and day. I dream about it in fact…the smoke curling up between my fingers, the long pull of smoke, the whole thing, but I keep going back to my friend who needs to know that even though my habit was legal and much, shall we dare, “safer” than his, it was just as addicting and detrimental. Oddly, I thought that if I could do this, I could conquer the world. Well, maybe that will still happen. But I got depressed first, then bitchy, then demanding, then a little sad again. And now I feel a little more normal. Or as normal as I can. Anway, the point is in trying to help someone else, I helped myself. So good luck to everyone who’s trying to quit/stop/relearn how to  live without an addiction. I tip you my hat.

The Operation Medicine Cabinet which I blogged about recently has rounded up 60 pounds of unused prescription drugs in Oakland County.

The grand opening was Friday the 11th at the Royal Oak Police Department in partnership with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Home Instead Senior Care, as well as other organizations. The residents were asked to bring their unused prescription drugs to the Police Department.

“It was a great success, and we’ve had dozens of people coming in since then, bringing their prescription drugs to our police station,” Police Chief Chris Jahnke said. ”Prescription drug abuse is on the rise, especially among teens, and that is one of our goals — to get narcotics out of the medicine cabinets and put them where they can be safely eliminated.”

This station in Royal Oak is now different than the situation at the Sheriff’s Office in Pontiac, as well as substations in Rochester Hills and Commerce Township. The new policy at the Royal Oak Police Department allows residents to drop off their prescriptions 24/7, while all the other stations are only on Wednesdays between 8 am and 4 pm.

Jahnke says that not only does this rid the streets of drugs, but it also has a green aspect; “Now the unused drugs won’t be going into the waterways and landfills,” he said.

These drugs will be disposed of in the same way that the police use to get rid of illegal drugs they have confiscated.

Bert Copple, general manager for Home Instead Senior Care in Birmingham, said disposing of drugs protects pets and children who spend more time at home.

“They’re around the house, and having prescription drugs in the medicine cabinet that aren’t being used, may open the door to experiment,” he said.

The Operation Medicine Cabinet which I blogged about recently has rounded up 60 pounds of unused prescription drugs in Oakland County.

The grand opening was Friday the 11th at the Royal Oak Police Department in partnership with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and Home Instead Senior Care, as well as other organizations. The residents were asked to bring their unused prescription drugs to the Police Department.

“It was a great success, and we’ve had dozens of people coming in since then, bringing their prescription drugs to our police station,” Police Chief Chris Jahnke said. ”Prescription drug abuse is on the rise, especially among teens, and that is one of our goals — to get narcotics out of the medicine cabinets and put them where they can be safely eliminated.”

This station in Royal Oak is now different than the situation at the Sheriff’s Office in Pontiac, as well as substations in Rochester Hills and Commerce Township. The new policy at the Royal Oak Police Department allows residents to drop off their prescriptions 24/7, while all the other stations are only on Wednesdays between 8 am and 4 pm.

Jahnke says that not only does this rid the streets of drugs, but it also has a green aspect; “Now the unused drugs won’t be going into the waterways and landfills,” he said.

These drugs will be disposed of in the same way that the police use to get rid of illegal drugs they have confiscated.

Bert Copple, general manager for Home Instead Senior Care in Birmingham, said disposing of drugs protects pets and children who spend more time at home.

“They’re around the house, and having prescription drugs in the medicine cabinet that aren’t being used, may open the door to experiment,” he said.

by Dr. Brent Lipke DC

Fibromyalgia is a term describing a condition involving chronic muscle and joint pain, headaches, irritable bowel, sleeplessness, depression and anxiety.  Sounds bad right?  It’s even worse because most forms of treatment meet with limited success.

People often develop fibromyalgia following an accident or trauma to the body.  One study found a 10 times increase in the risk of fibromyalgia following a neck injury. 

The American Journal of Medicine and other sources, show chiropractic to reduce pain and improve sleep quality.  Chiropractic works by removing stress from the nerve system allowing your body to function and heal normally.

 To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL me at The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

The Ministry of Defence has commissioned a study into the impact deployment has on forces families left behind…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: social studies teaching. The blog is also related to: teaching school.

I know that using the TV as a babysitter is not going to win me “Parent of the Year,” but there are moments where there just aren’t a lot of other options. To be fair to myself, I don’t actually own a television and haven’t for well over a decade. What I do have though is a laptop and my own personal “Leaning Tower of Pisa” built entirely out of the kid’s DVDs and the empty cases in which they are supposed to be put neatly away. I do my best, but the cases often do far less of a job protecting the movies that came in them than duty as coasters for either my coffee or beer, depending on what time of day you happen to catch me. Either way, provided that a disk remains relatively scratch free, popping one in will buy me about a half hour of productivity as Short Stack and Lulu Belle learn about something wholesome and educational. Thus far, I haven’t mistaken a Miffy DVD for say… The Guns of Navarone or Big Trouble in Little China, but I could see that happening eventually. THAT will be a fun time to explain.

Being the Christmas Season and I, being a sucker for the trappings thereof, I’ve been slowly tarting up the house with the trapping of the Holiday. It’s something that I get form my Mom and though the gene isn’t as strong with me as it is with her, it’s there nonetheless. Her house is always decorated like something out of a children’s book and it was magical to watch the transformation happen as a child. As a kid, I just assumed that everyone’s Mom went bonkers with the seasonal decorations and cookie making. I’ve since learned that’s not the case, so I do what I can with my own meager attempts to carry the torch for the sake of my own children’s holiday memories. The DVD that the kids were now successfully glued to gave me the chance I needed to do some rooting in the boxes that lurked in darker corners beneath the house.

Let me explain my house, just briefly. It’s small. No. It’s VERY small. We have exactly one closet in the entire structure and that is crammed to the bursting point with coats and boots. When we moved in here seven years ago, it was only a summer camp with no pretensions of being anything but that. It sat on posts and scoffed at the notion of insulation. I’ve spent the last seven years and a wheelbarrow full of cash changing all that. We now mostly have insulation in the walls and ceilings, but most importantly enough, we also have a basement. A FULL basement that is about seven and a half feet high at its shortest and nearly nine and a half at its highest.

It is also, do to the lack of storage anywhere else in the house, packed to the point of horror/hilarity. Finding anything down there requires persistence, the ability to balance on one foot for extended periods of time and very strong arms so you can carefully tilt four stacked boxes at once so you can peek into the fifth one. This can often result in something that Action Girl and I refer to as a “stuffalanche.”

With the few moments I had and the baby monitor turned up all the way and clipped to my belt, I moved boxes and totes in an effort to find a missing piece in my Christmas preparations. I didn’t find it, naturally, but as is often the case when I go spelunking through boxes of odds and ends, long forgotten, I did find something else that made me stop cold.

A rapidly disintegrating cardboard box spilled its contents at my feet, and among the old pay stubs, bank statements and notes to my self to do things in 2006, I saw a red binder.

My red binder.

THE red binder.

Once, I had a business that was based some distance from my house. It was a drive to get there and though it was hell on my car and the gas I burned up was impressive, it did give me one thing that I don’t really have any more. Solitude. I’d leave in the morning for work and since Action Girl works mostly night shifts, she’s be too groggy to be calling me as I drove on my commute. Content to leave the radio off, I’d spend that time in my car just letting my mind wander and observe things as I whipped by. It was a very nice way to start the day, to be honest.

One day as I trundled along the highway, I started to compose a little poem in my head. By the time I made it to work, I had worked most of it out and was pretty happy with it. Once my coat was hung up and the lights turned on, I sat down and scribbled it on a bit of lined paper. The next day, I did it again. Then again. I really grew to enjoy what quickly transformed into a morning ritual, and though I did not write something everyday, I did put my mind to it pretty often. By the end of the year, I had quite a little pile of prose. I’m hardly the one to judge its quality in the world of poetry, but it was good to me.

At some point, I got concerned about the scraps of paper with all that work and thinking poured onto them and decided I needed to transfer it all to my computer. I put them all in a red binder and brought them home. Then we lifted the house and the binder disappeared.

Normally, I’d not be too concerned about this. My attitude about these things tends to be, “Hey, it’s got to be here somewhere.” and I’m usually correct. This time though, I was worried. Very worried. After the house was picked up, had a basement put in and plopped back down on it’s new underpinning, my Father-in-law had come over and “helped” This is a dangerous thing. Though he has a good heart and the nervous industry that most twenty year old do not, he also has a very bad and well earned reputation for throwing things out that do not belong to him or that no person in their right mind would toss, all without clearance from the owner. Here I’m thinking about the bag of nuts and bolts that held my table saw bench together. No joke.

Long after the visit, I discovered that he had “helpfully” cleaned up an area in the house that, though I admit it, was knee deep in… stuff and debris, it also contained my binder of poems. It had been hastily put there with everything else during the house construction and was going to be dealt with… later… whenever that would be. When I looked at the spot now, it was empty. I knew he had also been to the dump at least twice during his time here. My heart sank. I never asked him if he saw it. I didn’t want him to feel guilty for only trying to help.

I actually wrote one last poem about my book of poetry moldering away under piles of trash at the city landfill, and then I didn’t write again. For whatever reason, the spirit to write poetry just sort of went dormant for me. I tried here and there over the years, but it just didn’t flow like it did before. Not having the commute to quietly reflect anymore, no doubt was a major impact, but thinking of a year’s worth of writing, gone for good also killed the joy.

With a lightning fast snatch that would have caught a fish by surprised, I grabbed it with both hands before it disappeared once again. Eye’s wide, I fearfully examined the open edge of the binder to look without really looking. I had other red binders like this one. It could easily be filled with receipts or old product information, long since irrelevant. No. It wasn’t that.

A smile spreading across my face, I opened it up to see sheet after sheet of hand written thoughts and personal observations. A year’s worth of thinking and writing. I scanned quickly and then snapped it shut and hugged it to my chest, eyes held tight.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” was all I could say.

The little spy speaker on my waist told me that the show upstairs was coming to an end and thus too, my ability to remain here any longer. Holding the long lost binder under my arm, I headed back to the living room where Short Stack immediately burst into a long and accurate description of the show they just watched as Lulu Belle scurried off in search of a lucky stuffed animal with whom to have tea. I listened with half an ear as I made a new home for my memories in a safe and easy to remember location upstairs.

I still have a lot of Christmas-ing to do around the house and that’s the main priority for me, but it will be over soon as well. Once it is, and the kids are tucked into bed, I have some transcribing to do. I don’t know what is in store for me present-wise this Christmas, but I’m already as happy as I could be. What was lost is found and with the distance of time, I’ll be reading these again with new eyes as I type away in the night.

Merry Christmas to me!

Lumbar kitteh is being supportive

akshully u just stole teh chare frum me.

Picture by: Sherri W. Caption by: SherriWilliams via Our LOL Builder

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What is the best part of the holidays for you? Shopping for loved ones? Baking the wonderful cookies and other baked goods just because? But, how can we make the holidays better?

The holidays have a different meaning for many other people. The holidays are about helping others. With unemployment being the way it is there are many right here in our state that could use a little help. Of course, none of us (unless you are rich) have a lot to give. And what many do not realize is it doesn’t have to be money.

Helping in the holiday season can mean very different things to many different people. Do you have a family with little children that are not as well off as you? What about some of those baked goods you are making? Is there a family that you know is low on funds and food? I gift certificate from the grocery store does not have to cost $100.

The little old woman who lives alone next door do you see her carrying in her goods from the vehicle? Could she use a hand and some company? The point being it does not take money to help someone. What it does take is a heart and some compassion.

You’re welcome

iz dat child proof and kid proof?

Picture by: dunno source Caption by: Aloublitz via Our LOL Builder

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One of the most disadvantaged areas in the world is Africa, where so many people live in poverty, along with all of the accompanying issues associated with poverty. It is a tragic situation, which the West can do a lot more about.

To help the African situation visit:

www.allafrica.com

www.standupforafrica.org.uk

A response to reading ‘365 Ways to Change the World,’ by Michael Norton

I saw this cute little image that the American Humanism group put out:

I agree with what they are pushing. People should try and be better to others. I agree with it because it is what God said to do. When you take God out of the picture though, I start to wonder why do you want to be good? I had this problem before I was saved, but I was angry and hurt and really didn’t care about helping people

Why do they do it though?

Any religious based person does it because to some degree, it is part of their religion. Typically they stick with helping others as a way to spread their message / beliefs. Usually, the beliefs involve them being good and being rewarded with it in an afterlife. So, why try and be good if there is no eternal reward for it?

Maybe that is the point that Christians are missing. Why should we do good just because we are expecting an eternal reward. Why not just be good because we want to. I know it wont work for everyone, but if helping people makes us feel good, why not help people for that reason alone? If we get a reward for doing good, so much the better, but it shouldn’t be the motivating factor of why we do what we do. Thanks humanist for helping to show the way.