Half Century Mark (Update Below)

Update: The Mr. went and pulled a fast one on me by 'kidnapping' me and whisking me away to an overnight stay at the Coeur d'Alene Resort. I had absolutely NO idea he had such plans. Our room was in the tower with a balcony overlooking the bay. We had dinner at Beverly's and then a spa party at the Highland's Day Spa. What a fellow ... guess he's making up for lost time ... my only complaint ... he gave me five minutes to pack. Good thing I had some clean clothes in my closet, eh?

I've been lallygagging around all week anticipating turning FIFTY years old (mostly gagging;) Well, yesterday was the grand day and there's to be a big bash this coming Saturday hosted by Mr. Mac. He's in charge of everything ... I'm not gonna lift one little finger. Can I have my cake and eat it too please? I just can't resist posting this "version" of Proverbs 8:1-11 ;) Hopefully I have learned a few of these lessons with age.

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling? Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She's taken her stand at First and Main,
at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
"You—I'm talking to all of you,
everyone out here on the streets!
Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!
You blockheads—shape up!
Don't miss a word of this—I'm telling you how to live well,
I'm telling you how to live at your best.
My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—
I can't stand the taste of evil!
You'll only hear true and right words from my mouth;
not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.
You'll recognize this as true—you with open minds;
truth-ready minds will see it at once.
Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

Proverbs 8:1-11 (The Message Bible)

I'm in awe of you my dear son ... you have shown me and blessed my days with your sweetness. Our family would be incomplete without you! Although trying at times, you have made our family more sensitive to the needs of people with special needs. Thank you for being who you are, wonderfully made by God.

Hugs & Kisses,

Mom

Photo: Mr. Nathan, age 11

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13

Puleeeze, Paula Dean

PUT DOWN THAT STICK OF BUTTER! I can't believe that she just made a small pot of corn chowder ... already loaded with a buttery roux and 2 cups of half and half ... Now I was expecting her to dallop a few pats of butter on top ... but she cut up a WHOLE STICK of butter ... my stomach is churning just thinking of all that artery clogging fat she so enjoys. Does everyone from the south cook in such a fashion? Anyone else out there top of a small pot of soup with a whole stick of butter? What gives?

For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."

Proverbs 30:33

Recovering From Blog-Fest '08

Attending the blog-fest yesterday was comparable to living in the cartoon version of Alice In Wonderland. Not many, if anyone, used their real or complete names. There was the Toadman, Stickman, Rocket Brains (dressed as Lt. Columbo or a flasher). Cis and Dogwalk Musings ... just to name a few. Cops and outlaws shared the same food and drink. A rather bizarre moment trapped somewhere beyond the looking glass. Here are some pics to prove my point.

Blog-Fest 2008

Yes, I'm attending a blog-fest this afternoon. What is a blog-fest? It's a gathering of bloggers in my area that are going to meet face-to-face. I'm a bit nervous about meeting on-line strangers ... so please, (if my mom is reading this today) if you don't hear back from me that means I've been abducted or worse. If I'm a goner, please make sure to lay me out in my finest pair of blue jeans, my cute brown sweater with the faux fur collar, my Bible in my hands, and a smile on my face ;) .... OK, I'll be back later with pictures (maybe).

Job Wanted

Today I was perusing the classified job section of my newspaper. You see, I have always wondered what I'd do outside the home when my children were grown and gone. There has always been this little carrot dangling in front of my nose just out of reach calling my name. I have no grand illusions to become a business owner or power broker. No ambition to put in a 40 hour work week coming home exhausted at the end of the day ... only to get dinner on the table and keep up with a large home. Just a little part time job to refresh my creative side that has been in the mommy mode for way too long. My part time job would have to be conducive to the school calendar ... and, of course, I'd like my annual vacation. I was thinking of working in a floral shop. I can see myself putting together beautiful arrangements, making corsages, spritzing the blooms with water, twisting green tape and sticks to the ends of flowers. Just think of the rush at Valentine's and Mother's Day. Ohh, I can hardly wait.

These are my skills:

Works best under pressure
tidy
good phone manners
fast learner
types and takes dictation well
good driving record
honest to a fault
sense of humor at times
light nursing skills
great cook
survived the winter of '07/08 without my husband's help

Anyone with a job lead, just leave a comment.

Oh My Aching Back

Does anyone know how much 2+ feet of snow on your roof equals when it's deposited on the already high pile in one's backyard? How about up to the roof. This morning at 6:30 a crew of snow removal guys came over to remove the snow on my roof. My meager efforts from the other day just barely scratched the surface. I was sure to instruct the men not to dump loads of snow on my spa top. I was sure to pay extra to have them remove the three feet on the walkway to the front porch. But I forgot to tell them (I guess) not let the snow pile up against my glass French door in the dining room. Nor the great room windows ... or my sliding door to my bedroom. The work load created from the roof's snow was beyond belief. I now have a clean roof ... but unusable back patio with over six feet of snow piled. Six feet after we dug a walkway around the house ... and leveled off the eight feet against the door. My bedroom drapes are ready to hang ... but considering I have six feet of snow sitting just outside the door, I may wait a while to finish putting them up.

Oh, the adventures of Mrs. Mac just never seem to end. Today was another moosie day with not one, but two ... a female and a male ... quite near the school bus stop. Between all the snow shoveling and the fright of meeting moose at the bus stop, this gal is soaking her aches and fears away in the hot tub. Maybe after winter I'll have something other than snow and wild critters to write about. For now, that's all I think about.

Sunshiny Dreaming

With six more weeks of winter (according to Mr. Groundhog, Punxsutawaney Phil), it's time to take some drastic measures and start dreaming of spring.

My Perfect Spring, by Mrs. Mac:

In my perfect spring the mornings are slightly chilly with a bit of warmth in the breeze (by warmth, I mean anything above 34 degrees F). The lush green of the forest surrounding my home is just peeking through the tiny patches of snow ... pushing up through the dense moss and woodsy floor of the great outdoors. Clean crisp air with that freshly hung laundry smell permeates the air. Mama deer and her babies make their way to my backyard for a nibble of new growth. Mr. Woodpecker reestablishes his/her nest in the dead tree ... making way for a nature show that can be viewed through early fall from my front porch rockers. Soon I will hear the whir of the neighborhood lawn mowers and waving hello to folks taking a walk. My dawg will be able to romp and roam her great expanse ... as currently she is bound to pace our driveway or battle with the sky high mounds of snow. There will be windows to wash and screens to put up. Smiley faced pansies to pot and shrubs to revive. Soon the bar-b-que will make it's way from storage and grace my back patio along with the all weather wicker furniture. Up will go my hummingbird feeders and perhaps a little bird bath. The tinkle of wind chimes soon will be heard and I may even wear sandals. My thighs will slim down from all the long walks I propose. Hubby will be home for good and he can get up with Nathan at night. Sleep, sound sleep will be mine once again. Sanity will return and all will be well. The End

Shovel This - Telegram

I'm up on the roof ... shoveling snow ... if my blog is quiet for too long ... call my neighbors to come find me .... stop.