Well, this is goodbye. I’m going to Edgemont for the week to do painting and won’t be back until late and you probably won’t hear from me until even later. I’m sorry I didn’t post anything this last week but my brain was just too fried. You’ll all just have to patiently await my return for more funny stories and speeches.
But, if riding to Edgemont in a crowded pickup (all seven of us, I may add) is any clue, I could have some interesting ones come time to return home. I ask that you pray we all are so overfilled with God’s joy that we get laughy and giggly at some point in the week. Why? Because I like being laughy and giggly (especially when painting) because it breaks the boredom. If everything is funny, then I should be quite entertained. I also ask that you pray that we can get it done this week and that’s really going to take a miracle with all the painting needing done. And just pray for us all and that we don’t get grumpy because if we do that camper is going to get VERY small.
So now you have homework. Pray. Please.
God bless you all,
Mandy
Our Fireworks
I took this picture at a fireworks display a few years ago.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
One O'Clock
What is up with one o’clock! One o’clock was always a time that meant nothing and was never noticed. It was not lunch time, it was not supper time and it was not even snack time. There just simply wasn’t a reason to notice one o’clock. Now it won’t go away! It is simply always one.
It started when our car started needing jump started every time we tried to turn it on. So, a solution was found. When you got done with the van you unplugged the fuses. That way, it wasn’t sucking energy. Well, every time the fuses are taken out and then put back in the clock immediately goes to one. So, when we were painting every time we got in the van it was one. We left the house at one, we had lunch at one, we had a bathroom break at one, we went home at one. And even now, whenever anyone says the time, by chance, it’s one for real! One, one, one, one and one!
Have you ever seen the movie ‘ground hog day’? Well, if you haven’t, watch it. If you have, then you know what I feel like!
And can you guess what time I wrote this? At one, of course. This is probably going to be a family joke for eternity.
Yours truly,
Mandy
It started when our car started needing jump started every time we tried to turn it on. So, a solution was found. When you got done with the van you unplugged the fuses. That way, it wasn’t sucking energy. Well, every time the fuses are taken out and then put back in the clock immediately goes to one. So, when we were painting every time we got in the van it was one. We left the house at one, we had lunch at one, we had a bathroom break at one, we went home at one. And even now, whenever anyone says the time, by chance, it’s one for real! One, one, one, one and one!
Have you ever seen the movie ‘ground hog day’? Well, if you haven’t, watch it. If you have, then you know what I feel like!
And can you guess what time I wrote this? At one, of course. This is probably going to be a family joke for eternity.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Fathers' Day
Today is Fathers’ Day. So, naturally, I’m going to talk about my dad. I’m pretty sure every other blog on the planet will be doing the same thing.
What can I sat about dads that’ll make any difference? What is there to say? For mothers you can go on and on. Dads, they just want one thing. So, I’ll say it.
I love you, Dad. I always have and always will. I can not tell you how much but think of the biggest star you can and that can’t hold it all.
There is another Father that I remember every day but today I remember Him as that. My Heavenly Father. Without Him, nothing could have set me free. Without Him, love is just a word. Without God, I am not truthful. Without You, Lord, I’m nothing!
God is love, grace and mercy. He is truth. He is everything and more. He made the stars. Some of them a quadrillion times bigger than the earth. Some even bigger. He made our world, just close enough to the sun and just far enough away so we don’t burn to death or freeze to death. He made us. So tiny that all we are is specks on a speck in a speck of a universe compared to Him and, yet, He loves us. He sent His only begotten son to die. To hang on a cross, the worse death anyone has ever died, for us. These tiny specks. And Jesus came willingly because he loves us.
He died so we could be God’s children. So He could be our Father. And that is love indescribable. So much of it that there is no comparison. Love so big that the universe is far, far too small to hold it.
But for those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior, it is love unfound. It is them that will never find God as their Father and who will die a thousand deaths and be separated from Him for eternity. Why is it so hard to accept a package of love? Because they do not think that much love can exist.
I have experienced my Father’s heavenly love and grace. I have walked with Him and yet can not describe it. But I can tell you this: I love Him and I love my dad. What more do I need? I have love indescribable.
Mandy
What can I sat about dads that’ll make any difference? What is there to say? For mothers you can go on and on. Dads, they just want one thing. So, I’ll say it.
I love you, Dad. I always have and always will. I can not tell you how much but think of the biggest star you can and that can’t hold it all.
There is another Father that I remember every day but today I remember Him as that. My Heavenly Father. Without Him, nothing could have set me free. Without Him, love is just a word. Without God, I am not truthful. Without You, Lord, I’m nothing!
God is love, grace and mercy. He is truth. He is everything and more. He made the stars. Some of them a quadrillion times bigger than the earth. Some even bigger. He made our world, just close enough to the sun and just far enough away so we don’t burn to death or freeze to death. He made us. So tiny that all we are is specks on a speck in a speck of a universe compared to Him and, yet, He loves us. He sent His only begotten son to die. To hang on a cross, the worse death anyone has ever died, for us. These tiny specks. And Jesus came willingly because he loves us.
He died so we could be God’s children. So He could be our Father. And that is love indescribable. So much of it that there is no comparison. Love so big that the universe is far, far too small to hold it.
But for those who refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior, it is love unfound. It is them that will never find God as their Father and who will die a thousand deaths and be separated from Him for eternity. Why is it so hard to accept a package of love? Because they do not think that much love can exist.
I have experienced my Father’s heavenly love and grace. I have walked with Him and yet can not describe it. But I can tell you this: I love Him and I love my dad. What more do I need? I have love indescribable.
Mandy
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Characters
There are some things that just don’t shape. Pine nettles and corn chips are two of them. A third is book characters. Other writers might say I’m wrong and maybe this is because I’m an amateur, I don’t know. All I do know is that they don’t shape into what you want them to once they are ‘dry’.
I always start out with an idea, a saying they will say all the time, a secret that they will carry. Something of that sort. This is when they are ‘wet’. This first scene is where you can mold them as best you can. After this first scene they take on their own route and they find their own characteristics. I just type and it comes naturally. It’s like chopping a piece of wood. You can chop it but only if you go with the grain. If you don’t go with the grain, it’s possible but the result is messy. I’ve come to the conclusion that what God wants written is what I’ll write and He’ll use it. This means that characters don’t always turn out exactly as I planned. Then again, some do. It all just depends.
This is just another place in my life that I’ve realized that I must say, “God, what ever you want! Use me; show me what to do. Help me.” I can’t form the characters, but I can give them nudges in the right direction. God will just have to show me what to write. Without Him, I’m nothing. If He is not with me in this, then why am I doing it? If it’s not for Him, then I have no reason to write.
I write for You, Lord. Show me what to do!
Mandy
I always start out with an idea, a saying they will say all the time, a secret that they will carry. Something of that sort. This is when they are ‘wet’. This first scene is where you can mold them as best you can. After this first scene they take on their own route and they find their own characteristics. I just type and it comes naturally. It’s like chopping a piece of wood. You can chop it but only if you go with the grain. If you don’t go with the grain, it’s possible but the result is messy. I’ve come to the conclusion that what God wants written is what I’ll write and He’ll use it. This means that characters don’t always turn out exactly as I planned. Then again, some do. It all just depends.
This is just another place in my life that I’ve realized that I must say, “God, what ever you want! Use me; show me what to do. Help me.” I can’t form the characters, but I can give them nudges in the right direction. God will just have to show me what to write. Without Him, I’m nothing. If He is not with me in this, then why am I doing it? If it’s not for Him, then I have no reason to write.
I write for You, Lord. Show me what to do!
Mandy
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Our Visit to Edgemont
Mom and Dad wanted quality time with us kids so they packed us into the car and we disembarked on an hour and a half drive to Edgemont. Megan got car sick and moaned in the back seat. Melissa helpfully sat and read the whole time. Jon picked on me and ate. And Julie complained about something or other every three minutes. Real great quality time!
An hour and a half is a surprisingly long time in a car with that many people. Somewhere in the ‘red zone’ Julie was commenting on the pretty yellow flowers. Jon then informed her it was a weed. Dad then informed him that it was alfalfa not a weed. So, the most interesting topic on the way there was alfalfa. This does not mean there wasn’t a constant blare of voices (mostly Jon’s).
We finally reached Edgemont, a nice little town with a park, library (LOVE the library!) and a museum. Us kids went to all three while Dad looked at a job for some friends. The air smelled like boiled eggs which isn’t bad if they really are boiled eggs but it’s just not a natural smell for the air in a park.
After those stops we went back where we were fed ice cream. I never before knew it was a crime not to have seconds when dealing with ice cream but when the friend of our parents got done with us it was obvious that not eating seconds was bad form. We ate seconds.
And then we were off again. After all that ice cream we were hyper. If you have ever gone in a car with a champion football team you probably know how we sounded. We sang every song we could think of and as loud as we could. We were off key but we didn’t care. We sang all the louder!
Can you guess what we did then? We made up poems. Actually, my siblings came up with lines and I wrote them down. This is not a small feat with four kids telling you a different way of putting the line, with the car bumping and with random loud snatches of songs every few minutes added in just for fun. You’d think it was confuse Mandy day. Anyway, here is what it turned out like. I think it’s pretty good, even if I say it myself. You’ve got to keep in mind it was written by five hyper children, in a car.
A Poem by Us:
There once was a badger named Fred,
By chance he was rather red.
He really loved to eat bread.
But one day he ran out and said,
I have now run out of bread!
So, he tried to eat duck tape instead,
But he got it wrapped around his head,
And now he is laying in bed.
That is the story of poor, poor Fred.
There was also one about a cow but it’s too long and ridiculous to write, so I won’t.
An hour and a half is a surprisingly long time in a car with that many people. Somewhere in the ‘red zone’ Julie was commenting on the pretty yellow flowers. Jon then informed her it was a weed. Dad then informed him that it was alfalfa not a weed. So, the most interesting topic on the way there was alfalfa. This does not mean there wasn’t a constant blare of voices (mostly Jon’s).
We finally reached Edgemont, a nice little town with a park, library (LOVE the library!) and a museum. Us kids went to all three while Dad looked at a job for some friends. The air smelled like boiled eggs which isn’t bad if they really are boiled eggs but it’s just not a natural smell for the air in a park.
After those stops we went back where we were fed ice cream. I never before knew it was a crime not to have seconds when dealing with ice cream but when the friend of our parents got done with us it was obvious that not eating seconds was bad form. We ate seconds.
And then we were off again. After all that ice cream we were hyper. If you have ever gone in a car with a champion football team you probably know how we sounded. We sang every song we could think of and as loud as we could. We were off key but we didn’t care. We sang all the louder!
Can you guess what we did then? We made up poems. Actually, my siblings came up with lines and I wrote them down. This is not a small feat with four kids telling you a different way of putting the line, with the car bumping and with random loud snatches of songs every few minutes added in just for fun. You’d think it was confuse Mandy day. Anyway, here is what it turned out like. I think it’s pretty good, even if I say it myself. You’ve got to keep in mind it was written by five hyper children, in a car.
A Poem by Us:
There once was a badger named Fred,
By chance he was rather red.
He really loved to eat bread.
But one day he ran out and said,
I have now run out of bread!
So, he tried to eat duck tape instead,
But he got it wrapped around his head,
And now he is laying in bed.
That is the story of poor, poor Fred.
There was also one about a cow but it’s too long and ridiculous to write, so I won’t.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Suffer for God
On Sunday, Pastor Nick's Sermon made me think.
God says that we should say, “Lord, if it be Thy will, let us do this or that.” So, if someone asks at a job interview, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” We should reply, “Where ever God wants me.”
Being a Christian is not easy. If an easy life is what you want then you are not cut out to be a Christian. Christians are beaten, their belongings ruined, their dreams smothered, and killed. You think it only happened in the Bible? I dare you to look around at the world. It’s happening now. Right now, this minute, people are dying for God. This isn’t easy and if you want easy then don’t come here.
Why do people become God’s people then? Because, God is bigger than the biggest problem. God is love so pure that we need Him. God is grace, the only grace that will save us from sin and set us free. Because in the end, after all that suffering, we’ll get a reward so much better than anything anyone can imagine. Why do we stay when in that much pain? Why? Because we have faith and because when standing for God there is so much more to life. And nothing, not pain or death, can take away the peace, the calm, the love, the hope, the wonderful feeling to know beyond any doubt that God loves us. And no amount of pain can take us away. No amount of pain could make us regret. Not if you are truly God’s.
Even when we have no more strength. Even when we have nothing left. Even when we’re at life's darkest hour - we have God’s strength. He gives us what we need to go on one more day. One more week. One more year. Just one more for Him.
But if you want to sign up, beware. For you must give it all, not just some. Going to church and giving money isn’t all it takes. You better be ready to do God’s will, what ever it is, where ever it is.
God, whatever you want. I’ll do it because I love you. I’ll do it because you loved me first. I’ll do it because failing you hurts worse than any other pain can. I’ll do it because I want to help so much. But, Lord, first you must show me. Show me, Lord, please.
Mandy
God says that we should say, “Lord, if it be Thy will, let us do this or that.” So, if someone asks at a job interview, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” We should reply, “Where ever God wants me.”
Being a Christian is not easy. If an easy life is what you want then you are not cut out to be a Christian. Christians are beaten, their belongings ruined, their dreams smothered, and killed. You think it only happened in the Bible? I dare you to look around at the world. It’s happening now. Right now, this minute, people are dying for God. This isn’t easy and if you want easy then don’t come here.
Why do people become God’s people then? Because, God is bigger than the biggest problem. God is love so pure that we need Him. God is grace, the only grace that will save us from sin and set us free. Because in the end, after all that suffering, we’ll get a reward so much better than anything anyone can imagine. Why do we stay when in that much pain? Why? Because we have faith and because when standing for God there is so much more to life. And nothing, not pain or death, can take away the peace, the calm, the love, the hope, the wonderful feeling to know beyond any doubt that God loves us. And no amount of pain can take us away. No amount of pain could make us regret. Not if you are truly God’s.
Even when we have no more strength. Even when we have nothing left. Even when we’re at life's darkest hour - we have God’s strength. He gives us what we need to go on one more day. One more week. One more year. Just one more for Him.
But if you want to sign up, beware. For you must give it all, not just some. Going to church and giving money isn’t all it takes. You better be ready to do God’s will, what ever it is, where ever it is.
God, whatever you want. I’ll do it because I love you. I’ll do it because you loved me first. I’ll do it because failing you hurts worse than any other pain can. I’ll do it because I want to help so much. But, Lord, first you must show me. Show me, Lord, please.
Mandy
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Cruising At 0.5 MPH
My day started out just as it always does. I got up, dressed, eat and wrote. Completely normal. After that it was just normal as the rest of the days of this week, and several of last week. I went to paint with my mom and dad and Melissa well the other kids stayed here and did random things about the house.
Painting didn’t end the same, though and it ended short and with us sopping wet. It rained and near about ruined our hard work. That was the end of the painting venture.
We left about 1:00 but that was nothing new because it had been 1:00 every time we got in the car all week, our clock still being broken (sort of).
Afternoon was a bit less eventful. Actually, it was down right boring. We were all just waiting for the grass to dry so we could mow and get it over with.
So, there I was, mowing through the three feet of grass at the pace of a snail. Our lawn mower, despite how old and unreliable, can cut practically anything. When it is running, that is. At a low-ish part, about one and a half foot, I could go at two, which was close to half a mile per hour. I was cruising at the pace, compared to the original 0.2 miles per hour. I spent a spell at two and got myself to move the lever, despite what my little voices were yelling (you know, those voices of reason that aren’t always reasonable) ‘what are you doing? Three is too high!’. I was practically flying! A whole mile an hour! Before the end of the day I was going at four and was kind of comfortable. Note the ‘kind of’.
My thoughts during these hours were rather random. Okay, they stayed on one thing and by the end of mowing I was so bored of it I could have screamed. My mind did not get the memo, obviously, when it refused to move on. It remained stubbornly routed there.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted. At the beginning I’d been tired but now I was just plain worn out. But…there is always a ‘but’, right?...I was happy. Why? One, that subject I was stuck on was Mom’s, which is never a bad subject. Two, I had a ton to be happy about, I was going home, I had some ideas for book scenes, and the hope that tomorrow I might get a letter from one of my three pen pals. Last, but definitely not least and if I’d been smart I would have put this as reason number one but I didn’t, God loves me always!
So, even though my day wasn’t all that grand, at the end of the day, I got lots blessings. Thanks, but I’m too tired to count them all and I doubt you want to sit here for the next year.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Painting didn’t end the same, though and it ended short and with us sopping wet. It rained and near about ruined our hard work. That was the end of the painting venture.
We left about 1:00 but that was nothing new because it had been 1:00 every time we got in the car all week, our clock still being broken (sort of).
Afternoon was a bit less eventful. Actually, it was down right boring. We were all just waiting for the grass to dry so we could mow and get it over with.
So, there I was, mowing through the three feet of grass at the pace of a snail. Our lawn mower, despite how old and unreliable, can cut practically anything. When it is running, that is. At a low-ish part, about one and a half foot, I could go at two, which was close to half a mile per hour. I was cruising at the pace, compared to the original 0.2 miles per hour. I spent a spell at two and got myself to move the lever, despite what my little voices were yelling (you know, those voices of reason that aren’t always reasonable) ‘what are you doing? Three is too high!’. I was practically flying! A whole mile an hour! Before the end of the day I was going at four and was kind of comfortable. Note the ‘kind of’.
My thoughts during these hours were rather random. Okay, they stayed on one thing and by the end of mowing I was so bored of it I could have screamed. My mind did not get the memo, obviously, when it refused to move on. It remained stubbornly routed there.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted. At the beginning I’d been tired but now I was just plain worn out. But…there is always a ‘but’, right?...I was happy. Why? One, that subject I was stuck on was Mom’s, which is never a bad subject. Two, I had a ton to be happy about, I was going home, I had some ideas for book scenes, and the hope that tomorrow I might get a letter from one of my three pen pals. Last, but definitely not least and if I’d been smart I would have put this as reason number one but I didn’t, God loves me always!
So, even though my day wasn’t all that grand, at the end of the day, I got lots blessings. Thanks, but I’m too tired to count them all and I doubt you want to sit here for the next year.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Poem for All
God bless you all today,
Each of you in your own way,
And if an answer did not grace your prayer,
Yes, my friends, He did hear.
Sometimes He says no,
And sometimes yes,
But what we all know,
Is that God does bless.
May your day be a happy one,
Mandy
Each of you in your own way,
And if an answer did not grace your prayer,
Yes, my friends, He did hear.
Sometimes He says no,
And sometimes yes,
But what we all know,
Is that God does bless.
May your day be a happy one,
Mandy
Friday, June 10, 2011
Conversation
Yesterday Missy and I had a awsome conversation with our wonderful aunt. I thought it brilliant and funny enough to share.
So this is for my wonderful, great, terrific, brilliant, loving aunt. As always, the names have been changed. Hope you enjoy!
Aunt C.: another Excel question!
Us: Hello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo!
Aunt C.: who wants to know?
Us: Us
Us: Meaning we
Us: Two people
Aunt C.: in a house of 7, that is too many possibilities to guess which 2
Us:
Us: Our names start with M's
Us: So, what is an excel question?
Aunt C.: did I ask you?
Aunt C.: thought I was asking Chari
Us: Nope
Aunt C.: guess I hit the wrong name
Us: Oh, that's okay
Aunt C.: I was trying to search for something and couldn't figure out how to do it
Aunt C.: are either of you Excel experts?
Us: No
Aunt C.: WELL! What good are you then?
Us: Writing! Reading!
Us: Fun stuff
Aunt C.: fine then, be that way
Aunt C.: leave me, lost and alone, wandering through thousands of rows of data
Aunt C.: unable to find what I need. (sniff, sniff) I feel so alone
Aunt C.: I think I'll go eat worms
Us: Don't do that! They taste horrible and they are not nutrious!
Us: ....Or so i've heard
Aunt C.: you have to get the variety called "gummy"
Aunt C.: esp. the sour species
Us: You're a genious!
Us: Well, you'd better find Aunt Chari.
Us: Since we're so unhelpful
Aunt C.: ah, yes, a genius I am
Us: We totallt agree
Aunt C.: some days and on certain subjects
Us: Precisely!
Aunt C.: but alas, on Excel I am sadly lacking and lost
Aunt C.: and seeking help from the wrong source, I see
Us: Same here (sniff, sniff)
Aunt C.: all I get here is my ego puffed up
Aunt C.: telling me how smart I am while not solving my problems
Us: He he he he ha! We're great at that
Us: Puffing up ego's is our specialty
Aunt C.: tell me more!
Us: (spelling is obviously not)
Us: I guess we're all just genious with God's help.
Aunt C.: we can't all be good at everything
Aunt C.: spelling I need no help with
Us: Good for you.
Aunt C.: unless I have to type about gastroesophagealduodonescopies
Us: What on earth is that? A paragraph?
Aunt C.: a medical procedure yu'd rather not have done
Us: Why can't they name stuff things that the patient can actually say? Like Fred or Bob or Mark?
Aunt C.: ahh, but that is what they get paid the big bucks for
Us: Hay, i can com up with huge names! How does Helomartoperdagraphmentation sound?
Us: It's lightening here so i gatta go. Bye!
Aunt C.: what an enlightening situation!
Aunt C.: Bye
So this is for my wonderful, great, terrific, brilliant, loving aunt. As always, the names have been changed. Hope you enjoy!
Aunt C.: another Excel question!
Us: Hello? Hello? Anybody there? Echo!
Aunt C.: who wants to know?
Us: Us
Us: Meaning we
Us: Two people
Aunt C.: in a house of 7, that is too many possibilities to guess which 2
Us:
Us: Our names start with M's
Us: So, what is an excel question?
Aunt C.: did I ask you?
Aunt C.: thought I was asking Chari
Us: Nope
Aunt C.: guess I hit the wrong name
Us: Oh, that's okay
Aunt C.: I was trying to search for something and couldn't figure out how to do it
Aunt C.: are either of you Excel experts?
Us: No
Aunt C.: WELL! What good are you then?
Us: Writing! Reading!
Us: Fun stuff
Aunt C.: fine then, be that way
Aunt C.: leave me, lost and alone, wandering through thousands of rows of data
Aunt C.: unable to find what I need. (sniff, sniff) I feel so alone
Aunt C.: I think I'll go eat worms
Us: Don't do that! They taste horrible and they are not nutrious!
Us: ....Or so i've heard
Aunt C.: you have to get the variety called "gummy"
Aunt C.: esp. the sour species
Us: You're a genious!
Us: Well, you'd better find Aunt Chari.
Us: Since we're so unhelpful
Aunt C.: ah, yes, a genius I am
Us: We totallt agree
Aunt C.: some days and on certain subjects
Us: Precisely!
Aunt C.: but alas, on Excel I am sadly lacking and lost
Aunt C.: and seeking help from the wrong source, I see
Us: Same here (sniff, sniff)
Aunt C.: all I get here is my ego puffed up
Aunt C.: telling me how smart I am while not solving my problems
Us: He he he he ha! We're great at that
Us: Puffing up ego's is our specialty
Aunt C.: tell me more!
Us: (spelling is obviously not)
Us: I guess we're all just genious with God's help.
Aunt C.: we can't all be good at everything
Aunt C.: spelling I need no help with
Us: Good for you.
Aunt C.: unless I have to type about gastroesophagealduodonescopies
Us: What on earth is that? A paragraph?
Aunt C.: a medical procedure yu'd rather not have done
Us: Why can't they name stuff things that the patient can actually say? Like Fred or Bob or Mark?
Aunt C.: ahh, but that is what they get paid the big bucks for
Us: Hay, i can com up with huge names! How does Helomartoperdagraphmentation sound?
Us: It's lightening here so i gatta go. Bye!
Aunt C.: what an enlightening situation!
Aunt C.: Bye
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Some Things We Don't Get
So, there Mom was, watching TV. She switches the channel and a movie’s title comes across. The first thing she says to us is, “This is the stupidest movie ever made.” She then proceeded to watch one full hour of it and then said again, “This is the stupidest movie ever made.” She still continued to watch. When it was over she said. “I’ve watched this fifteen times.”
“I thought you said it was the stupidest movie ever made,” said Rose.
“It is.”
Why did she watch it? We’ll never know.
“I thought you said it was the stupidest movie ever made,” said Rose.
“It is.”
Why did she watch it? We’ll never know.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sometimes I Wish...
I am forever grateful to be home schooled but there are times when I want more than anything to be public schooled. For more friends? No. I have some of the best friends anyone could ask for.
It’s those times when I think about all those kids longing to fit in and I want to show them that being themselves is fine. It happens when I think about all the kids who need a friend, someone willing to stand up for them even if they don’t look as good as everyone else. And when I think about all the kids who need God’s love and how few are showing the way.
That’s when I want more than anything to be that person. To be the square in all those circles even if I wasn’t liked or accepted.
Some days my heart screams to be able to help. I want it so bad but I’m home schooled. On those days I’m saying, “God, I’m here! Let me help.” And He is saying, “This is not what I want for you. Wait for my plan. I have others for that.”
And then I see me, as myself, getting on a bus, riding two hours to school, going to class, eating a home made lunch since there would be nothing for me to eat, and coming home. And it seems so absurd I want to laugh because I realize why God left me home to be schooled.
Then I’m saying, “Lord, whatever you want! I’m waiting, Lord. Show me what to do and when.”
But on those days, I still wish I could help more.
It’s those times when I think about all those kids longing to fit in and I want to show them that being themselves is fine. It happens when I think about all the kids who need a friend, someone willing to stand up for them even if they don’t look as good as everyone else. And when I think about all the kids who need God’s love and how few are showing the way.
That’s when I want more than anything to be that person. To be the square in all those circles even if I wasn’t liked or accepted.
Some days my heart screams to be able to help. I want it so bad but I’m home schooled. On those days I’m saying, “God, I’m here! Let me help.” And He is saying, “This is not what I want for you. Wait for my plan. I have others for that.”
And then I see me, as myself, getting on a bus, riding two hours to school, going to class, eating a home made lunch since there would be nothing for me to eat, and coming home. And it seems so absurd I want to laugh because I realize why God left me home to be schooled.
Then I’m saying, “Lord, whatever you want! I’m waiting, Lord. Show me what to do and when.”
But on those days, I still wish I could help more.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A Report from Pery.
[Tap, tap….I say, is this thing working? Somebody put me on air…. Oh, I’m on air, righty oh.]
Good day, chaps. This is Reginald Peryweather Cornwalter reporting live from…[What’s all this about? Well, tell him not to send notes when I’m on air….click.] live from the Black Hills. Today’s weather will vary from very cold to very hot depending on where you are. [Yes, what is it? ….Oh, right] and probably middle temperatures too. As for the rain, there will be scattered storms in places so just put your umbrella in the car.
There are two urgent missing person’s reports…. [Yes? They are. Oh dear…] but they are just a dog named Larry, bad name for a dog, I think, and fluffy the cat. [….I was getting there.] Please don’t call in every dog or cat you see because they aren’t near you...probably.
Depending on when you hear this (because our station is so unreliable) I want to remind you to eat a good breakfast, lunch or dinner. Good for the health, you know. […I know but I was just covering all my grounds….I know it probably won’t even reach them until lunch. Stop interrupting.]
With today’s winds there are probably all kinds of things being broken so don’t forget to call your local handyman service. [Yes, I was about to tell them the name. What, do you think I’m new at this? ….Okay, so I am new at this but that is beside the point.] Call into Honey Do Services today! They're in the phone book!
This is Reginald Peryweather Cornwalter, signing out.
Good day, chaps. This is Reginald Peryweather Cornwalter reporting live from…[What’s all this about? Well, tell him not to send notes when I’m on air….click.] live from the Black Hills. Today’s weather will vary from very cold to very hot depending on where you are. [Yes, what is it? ….Oh, right] and probably middle temperatures too. As for the rain, there will be scattered storms in places so just put your umbrella in the car.
There are two urgent missing person’s reports…. [Yes? They are. Oh dear…] but they are just a dog named Larry, bad name for a dog, I think, and fluffy the cat. [….I was getting there.] Please don’t call in every dog or cat you see because they aren’t near you...probably.
Depending on when you hear this (because our station is so unreliable) I want to remind you to eat a good breakfast, lunch or dinner. Good for the health, you know. […I know but I was just covering all my grounds….I know it probably won’t even reach them until lunch. Stop interrupting.]
With today’s winds there are probably all kinds of things being broken so don’t forget to call your local handyman service. [Yes, I was about to tell them the name. What, do you think I’m new at this? ….Okay, so I am new at this but that is beside the point.] Call into Honey Do Services today! They're in the phone book!
This is Reginald Peryweather Cornwalter, signing out.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Painting
We went painting. Painting? You ask. Yes, painting.
I started out my day as I always do. Got up, ate breakfast, wrote my book, heard Mom get up and was told we were going with her to paint a house. I was once again left out of planning things. From there we went to Deadwood. Attempting to find the house we were to paint, we went up a very steep, narrow road. I commented, “I would hate to drive up this in winter,” winters being so bad here. At the top of this first road was a house with a lady sitting on her porch, just watching the scenery. We turned left, went up another road that was just as steep and found a total dead end. This was obviously the wrong road. Turning around was not an easy task but with my dad, an excellent driver with over one million miles with not even a small ticket (okay, one small ticket but that’s because he forgot to put money in at the library), we got out. We went back down and instead turned right when we reached the house at the top of the first road. After a few minutes going that way we reached another sign saying ‘dead end’ and it defiantly wasn’t anywhere around, so we turned back. As we passed the house and went back down the first road the lady was laughing hysterically. She obviously thought it quite funny. I saluted her as we passed, as I always do.
We did finally find the place. Did we stay? No. We got a paint chip and headed down to the hardware store. The first place did not have the right stuff, so we went to a second place. This place had it but they had to mix it, so we went back to Deadwood from Central City and got lunch. After lunch we went back to the store and picked up our paint. Then we finally got to the house. Dad did some scrapping and on to the painting!
We spent the day painting this house. Of course our van had to go dead too. So we called in emergency help! Our neighbor came and got us out of a rout.
Tomorrow we are going back to do more painting. Oh, fun.
I started out my day as I always do. Got up, ate breakfast, wrote my book, heard Mom get up and was told we were going with her to paint a house. I was once again left out of planning things. From there we went to Deadwood. Attempting to find the house we were to paint, we went up a very steep, narrow road. I commented, “I would hate to drive up this in winter,” winters being so bad here. At the top of this first road was a house with a lady sitting on her porch, just watching the scenery. We turned left, went up another road that was just as steep and found a total dead end. This was obviously the wrong road. Turning around was not an easy task but with my dad, an excellent driver with over one million miles with not even a small ticket (okay, one small ticket but that’s because he forgot to put money in at the library), we got out. We went back down and instead turned right when we reached the house at the top of the first road. After a few minutes going that way we reached another sign saying ‘dead end’ and it defiantly wasn’t anywhere around, so we turned back. As we passed the house and went back down the first road the lady was laughing hysterically. She obviously thought it quite funny. I saluted her as we passed, as I always do.
We did finally find the place. Did we stay? No. We got a paint chip and headed down to the hardware store. The first place did not have the right stuff, so we went to a second place. This place had it but they had to mix it, so we went back to Deadwood from Central City and got lunch. After lunch we went back to the store and picked up our paint. Then we finally got to the house. Dad did some scrapping and on to the painting!
We spent the day painting this house. Of course our van had to go dead too. So we called in emergency help! Our neighbor came and got us out of a rout.
Tomorrow we are going back to do more painting. Oh, fun.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Extreme Sports of SD
White Water Rafting – Try to stay in the boat. Wear a helmet in case of crashes.
Snowboarding – Take skiing lessons first. Wear a helmet in case of crashes.
Skydiving – Jump from a plane. Remember to pull your cord. Wear a helmet in case of crashes.
Ect. Ect. Ect…….
Gardening – The only sport where killing, maiming, squishing and karate chopping are allowed! They say it is relaxing! Wear a helmet in case of flying dirt clunks.
Last night we decided to do some planting (I didn’t, Mom did.). So, we trudged out to the garden with our onions, beats, radishes, turnips (all of which I think are gross) and carrots (which I like). We also had a bowl of flower seeds. We’d spent the last half an hour tearing open flower seed packets and dumping them together. How many are you thinking? Fifteen packages? No. Something more along the lines of a hundred. How many seeds are you thinking? A cereal bowl full? No. More like an eighth of a bowl full. Don’t worry, I couldn’t believe it either! Those packages only have about ten seeds apiece.
So we planted these seeds and then decided to explore the many bushes lining our fence. Most of which are berry. This year, to our complete surprise, there are flowers on these bushes! I’d given them up to dead. But no, obviously SD bushes are stubborn, too.
Mom was very impressed with one of dead apple trees (yes, we’re rough on plants but the winters up here don’t help) which was now coming back from the bottom. Around the end of this adventure Missy exclaimed, “Who ever said a green thumb marked a farmer? I say it’s a black pinky.” We both stared at our black pinkies. Of course, she was right. To make the lines for the seeds you use the side of your hand with your pinky and by the end of such a process you have a black pinky. I must be twice the farmer since both of mine were black! (Or, since I’m double handed, I just switched hands without thinking.)
Well, it wasn’t a bad night but since Missy was bugging me about writing more of my book (since she reads along she often has to wait for me to feel like writing and it bugs her), I did. By then, it was an hour past my bed time (10:00) and I was exhausted, so I left.
In fifteen minutes Mom wants to be woken up, according to this note, so I’d better go.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Friday, June 3, 2011
My Week
Where have you been? You ask. Why are my posts so ridiculously thin? Well, as this Blog’s name implies, this is just what I think and lately there has been no time to think.
First there was a virus that up routed my whole system. How rude! Thankfully everything was saved but the virus took out Microsoft Works (the program my books were on.) and I now have to use Microsoft Word. Nothing is the same. I’m having to relearn where everything is. Dreadful! But, I am stubborn. This close to sending off my book, I’m not giving up. No, sir (or ma’am).
A long time ago, at the beginning of the week, we had a whole troop of relatives out. It was awesome but guess what? It left no time to think up great posts! (Even if I did come up with relatives) We did not completely get rid of our dear, fun, energy stealing cousins until Wednesday. We then mowed the dreaded lawns in our lovely town. And I mean huge lawns, by a hand propelled push mower! That after noon I got a life giving, right on time, lovely letter from one of my three pen pals. (God is SO good and His timing is perfect!)
I was once again not informed of things until an hour before we were supposed to be at church. This was a surprise because being in the middle of nowhere, we don’t have Wednesday nights. We went to church for this special Missionary presentation.
Thursday, more mowing. After mowing, house cleaning. Then, learning how to maneuver the new program with my book and fixing spelling and punctuation mistakes. And then, I crashed. I probably could have written but it would have been something grand like “I mowed, I got sunburned, blah, blah, blah, goodbye”. A total of nine words, three of which are ‘Blah’.
Today is a beautiful, sunny, not too hot, day and I will probably walk to the post office just on principle. I am enjoying God’s love, as always. I’m happy, safe and tired. Yet, a little work never killed anyone…
….’little’ being the operative word.
Yours truly,
Mandy
First there was a virus that up routed my whole system. How rude! Thankfully everything was saved but the virus took out Microsoft Works (the program my books were on.) and I now have to use Microsoft Word. Nothing is the same. I’m having to relearn where everything is. Dreadful! But, I am stubborn. This close to sending off my book, I’m not giving up. No, sir (or ma’am).
A long time ago, at the beginning of the week, we had a whole troop of relatives out. It was awesome but guess what? It left no time to think up great posts! (Even if I did come up with relatives) We did not completely get rid of our dear, fun, energy stealing cousins until Wednesday. We then mowed the dreaded lawns in our lovely town. And I mean huge lawns, by a hand propelled push mower! That after noon I got a life giving, right on time, lovely letter from one of my three pen pals. (God is SO good and His timing is perfect!)
I was once again not informed of things until an hour before we were supposed to be at church. This was a surprise because being in the middle of nowhere, we don’t have Wednesday nights. We went to church for this special Missionary presentation.
Thursday, more mowing. After mowing, house cleaning. Then, learning how to maneuver the new program with my book and fixing spelling and punctuation mistakes. And then, I crashed. I probably could have written but it would have been something grand like “I mowed, I got sunburned, blah, blah, blah, goodbye”. A total of nine words, three of which are ‘Blah’.
Today is a beautiful, sunny, not too hot, day and I will probably walk to the post office just on principle. I am enjoying God’s love, as always. I’m happy, safe and tired. Yet, a little work never killed anyone…
….’little’ being the operative word.
Yours truly,
Mandy
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Relatives
Relatives, we all have them. Some of us just have more. Like me. My mom’s side has a family reunion every two years and you won’t believe the amount of people that show up. I have something like fifty cousins and nearly as many aunts. Uncles, sure I have plenty of them too. I also have second cousins, third cousins and a few people that I’m not sure how they are related at all. They come to the reunion, so they are.
There are over a hundred people and not all of them come which is a good think since we only have one tiny community hall. Any more and we might start suffocating.
This all takes place around the beginning or middle of August, in Broken Bow, at the same time of the fair. (The same fair mentioned in my Aunt’s book, The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Missing Watch.) It is usually scorching but do us kids mind? No. We all head down the road to the nearby park where we endure the heat as long as we can.
That’s only my mom’s one side. She had a quite a few on the other side as well but we don’t see them that often.
My dad’s side doesn’t have so many but we’re a lot closer. Most of us live right in or around Rapid. So, generally, we just gather whenever we feel like it.
I am very proud of my family and I must also say this: I got my writing talent from God but I also got it from them. They have written stories and books, newspapers and Calendars, Birthday cards in endless amounts. So, yes, this is for all of you. Even those who I don’t understand how they are related.
For God, and for my family.
P.S. No, I can't remember which ones. All I know is that it's confusing how they are connected!
There are over a hundred people and not all of them come which is a good think since we only have one tiny community hall. Any more and we might start suffocating.
This all takes place around the beginning or middle of August, in Broken Bow, at the same time of the fair. (The same fair mentioned in my Aunt’s book, The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Missing Watch.) It is usually scorching but do us kids mind? No. We all head down the road to the nearby park where we endure the heat as long as we can.
That’s only my mom’s one side. She had a quite a few on the other side as well but we don’t see them that often.
My dad’s side doesn’t have so many but we’re a lot closer. Most of us live right in or around Rapid. So, generally, we just gather whenever we feel like it.
I am very proud of my family and I must also say this: I got my writing talent from God but I also got it from them. They have written stories and books, newspapers and Calendars, Birthday cards in endless amounts. So, yes, this is for all of you. Even those who I don’t understand how they are related.
For God, and for my family.
P.S. No, I can't remember which ones. All I know is that it's confusing how they are connected!
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