Off to camp!

....and by "camp" I don't mean the kind where mom and dad send the kids off for 10-14 days of wilderness experience while we stay at home having romantic dinners and such. Oh no. We are going camping as a family adventure. (Because, and those of you who know me can vouch for me here, I am ALL ABOUT the outdoors! Not.) I'm talking about the kind of camping where we go without showers for 4 days, have a wee bit of suspicious "crunchy" in our food (which really bother me in the eggs, but not as much in the burgers. Go figure.), and instead of perfume we all smell like bug spray for the entire outing.

At least husband will be doing the cooking. He fancies himself as quite the camper / fisherman.

We will be in cabins, so this is a plus. However, the cabins have mice, which is a minus. But the mice are pretty cute, plus. They only come out at night, neutral. They are noisy at night, minus. The cabins are charming, plus. They have electricity and running water, plus. We are going with a family that I really really like, plus.

We haven't been camping in two years. The girls are two years older, and should be easier this time, right?

I'll let you know.

We'll be back next Thursday. (We're taking a little side trip to see friends in the mountains after the camping trip... which explains the extra days.)

Have a great weekend. I'll be thinking of you all taking showers and staying clean. (And, believe me, some of you come off better in this mental picture than others!)

Adventures await us! Let's fish!

I know it's a lot of picture posts... but stay with me

I took this picture on a bridge over the Brazos River during my first trip to TX this summer. It strikes me as a euphemism for being a parent.

"There they go!"

If Frank Lloyd Wright were a hornet he’d be living on my porch

Seriously, most hornets / wasps nests look like paper versions of beeswax. NOT this architectural wonder! THIS must be, like, the Taj Mahal of hornets nests. (And for the record, yes… I am aware that Frank did not design the Taj Mahal. I’m vociferous, not stupid.) You cannot help but appreciate the perfect symmetry of the overall shape, the rounded bulbous quality. It is truly a sight to behold. And, lucky me, I’m going to be beholding it for quite a while - because my husband isn’t about to whack that thing down with a broom any time soon! (And, frankly, neither am I!)

Showings will be on even numbered Tuesdays between 11:15 and 11:30.

Most likely for the rest of my life.

Sometimes I just browse

I admit, I fancy that in another life I might have been a photographer. (I also sometimes fancy that in another life I may have been royalty - and this is the reason I find my middle class existance barely tolerable... but that really would be another blog entirely.) Sometime I just go out and browse photo websites to see what is out there. I used to do this and then send my friend some of the photos that I had found with my own captions. Well, before I clean out the "my picture" file of my laptop (memory is crucial, you realize) I thought I'd share some old finds with you all. See if you agree with my opinions. If not, lets discuss.






I'm guessing that the church that sponsored these two might want to pay attention to the cafe in the background before printing in the "Merry Missionary Update" section of the newsletter.







Possibly that greatest "Yo Mama..." comeback in history.







REALLY wish I had been there the evening they found it was necessary to post this sign.






I so easily could have thought this one up. It hardly seems fair that someone got the idea first, right?







Ahhh, yes. I've been at that crossroads myself. (I have an Art Degree, so you could say I never ACTUALLY made a firm decision on this...)










Uhhhh, think those are real?
(Ewwwwwwwwwwww is just not strong enough!)



*************


Hey, sorry about that last one. Shock and Awe got the best of me.

Quotes?

My friend Mrs. Nielson (yes, of the Nielson Family who decides what we watch on TV - and thank God she has HBO) posted on her blog about quotes. An article she had read gave her the idea to issue her own challenge. Her favorite phrase is "Life, Love, Laugh".

I love quotes. I collect them, sort of, and have even centered a family Christmas letter around them once. Mostly quotes hit home with me when they have a bit of humor to them.

"The fashion sense of the very young, the very old, and the flu-stricken are uncannily similar." (Quinn Cummings, QC Report)

"There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters." (Unknown)

But, I'd have to say if there is a quote to live my life by I'm a bit stumped. I guess one of the wisest quotes I've ever run across if from William Shakespeare:

"It is a wise father that knows his own child."

In this day and age I think truer words have never been spoken - and that they were spoken in the 16th century speaks volumes about parenting. It's always been obvious. Know your children. Know their interests, their passions, their strengths and weaknesses, their friends, their teachers... and if need be, know things they wouldn't voluntarily share with you. Do I think Columbine could have been avoided if the killers parents had known their children better? Maybe. Do I think parents can always save their children? No. But knowing them well can help you guide them to things and circumstances that will - hopefully - result in their being happier, more secure human beings. And isn't that key?

And, I'm interested in knowing about dragons and ketchup also. Will Doubting Thomas please share?

P.S. Obviously I am back from TX. Chaotic and stressful, need to clear my head. Need to just live my life for a while and get perspective on how to best help my dear friend. Hers is not a situation to be "solved" for her, and certainly cannot be "solved" overnight. Sadly, things were probably not any better when I left than when I got there - just different. She is important to me, and I hope that it all works out for the best. She deserves nothing less.

Are you sitting down?

...because he left her. HE LEFT HER. Three weeks in to their marriage and he left her.

Who does that? What kind of sick man is he?

I'll have the whole story when I get back. I'm off to TX tomorrow morning to see my friend and dry her tears the best that I can. My amazing husband is insisting that I go - what a wonderful man I am married to. Why sometimes does it take something so very shocking and sad to make me look at my life and completely appreciate how lucky I am? I have an amazing life. There is more love and goodness in my life than I would have ever thought possible... and starting today I'm going to be taking time out each day to thank the Lord that he has brought me to such a wonderful life.

HE LEFT HER. Who does that? I know, I'm repeating myself. But this is horrifying and shocking and wrong.

P.S. She said she's going to write a book called, "When the wedding pedicure lasts longer than the marriage." I think she's brilliant! Keep her in your thoughts. I'll be back Friday or Saturday. Love you all, appreciate you all, and be sure to thank God today for our blessed lives.