My Dad

Note: My sister and I wrote our own little article for my Dad and gave it to him for his birthday. Here's mine...

Today, we are celebrating my Dad's birthday! And it's always a challenge to figure out what to get him for a gift because he has everything, and of course, he can buy whatever he wants when he wants it!

So we're buying him dinner and giving him some small gifts he might enjoy - nothing too exciting. But my real gift is to tell him what a gift he is to me.

The idea of writing this came to me a few weeks ago when I had taken my Dad to an appointment for a procedure he was having done. The procedure only took about 20 minutes, and he felt perfectly normal when he was done, but they recommended he have someone to drive him home, so I went along to drive him back home.

Our destination was 30 minutes away, and the appointment was at 1pm. This meant that we'd be driving home right in the middle of rush hour traffic. The smart thing to do is to get on the Fastrack toll lane to bypass the traffic jam. But for me...well, in the past, I've battled anxiety and/or panic attacks when I drive. And the Fastrack is a separate lane on the far left of the freeway, which makes it difficult to "pull over" if you need to. So I usually just sit in traffic, in the slow lane, with the comfort of knowing that I can pull over if I start feeling funky. So I was a little worried that I might have to make my mom and dad sit in traffic for hours to accommodate my anxieties.

But on that day, I felt pretty good. And I feel pretty comfortable with my mom and dad. But still, the thought of the possibility of the panic attack was in the back of my mind. I was a little embarrassed that I might have to tell my Dad, "Uh...I don't wanna feel anxious so I'm gonna make you sit in traffic for a couple of hours. Hope you don't mind".

So I nervously said, "Um.. I cant quite decide if I want to get on the Fastrak or not". I said this to feel them out...to see what they thought. (Yes, I have to do this even though I've known them for 43 years!)

My mom says, "Do whatever you feel comfortable doing. If you feel like getting on the Fastrrak, go ahead, I f you don't feel comfortable, just take the regular freeway."

And she meant that.

My Dad said, "Do whatever you want, Mija. We're in no hurry".

And he meant that.

And you know what? Any feelings of anxiety that I had were removed by the fact that their only concern was for me to feel comfortable. I hopped on the toll lane and felt perfectly fine, because I felt no pressure. The only thing that mattered to them was that I felt ok.

As I thought about that, I realized that their response that day was a pretty accurate representation of them. They are always fully accepting of me and they love me despite all my "issues" and weirdness. All they want is for me to be happy. Total patience. Unconditional acceptance.

I’m 43 years old. I am married. I have two kids. I am in the wonderful position to look at my life and appreciate the really important things. As you probably know, when you are a teenager, you don't always appreciate the things and people you should appreciate.

My sister - she was kind of a mellow sort. Not much trouble. But I'm sure I tried my Dad's patience a lot more since I was a bit more trouble! But I've always known that there was nothing I could do where I couldn't come to my Dad for help.

He is also a great Grandpa. He is funny, wise, loving, generous, patient, forgiving. I know that my boys love him with all their hearts!

Aside from him being a wonderful father and grandfather, I can also say that he is great man. I see people come to him for all kinds of help. I've seen him get taken advantage of. But that never makes him bitter. He keeps on helping people and giving them chances to do better. Since we've lived in CA, my parents' home has been a refuge to a lot of people. Some have appreciated it. Some haven’t'. But they never stop being available to their friends and family.

This is why, when I hear that God is my "father", the image I get is of a loving God who loves me, despite myself. Not everyone can say that.

Just want to say Happy Birthday Dad. I love and appreciate you more than you can ever know!

What Encourages Me

Found an interesting new blog today. Its called In Courage. In the post I read today, the writer talked about having courage and the many "colors" it comes in. In the end, she asked...what encourages you? Usually, I read such things, take a minute, and then go on with my day. Today I am prompted to think a bit harder. And as I do, it becomes an inventory of the blessings I have...

I am encouraged by my husband. Who even though he gets on my nerves by leaving socks in every corner you can imagine, and who has opinions I think are too strong some times - he still is the one who can speak God's Unchanging Truth to me when I've dropped the ball and want to give up. He is unshakable in that way.

I am encouraged by my sister. Who found out she had cancer the week before her wedding. Who has had two miscarriages. She is married to her best friend and finds the things she has gone through as an opportunities to speak God's Rescue to anyone who is willing.

I am encouraged by my friend Gina - who, having endured things in her childhood, and in the difficult beginnings of her marriage, finds herself happily married to same man, who is a new man, and a house full of the most polite children you'll ever meet! the things she's experienced have served to fill her heart with compassion for others. She speaks God's Mercy

I am encouraged by my friend Tracy- who has the gift of faith and exhortation. My most precious memory of her is right before my son was diagnosed with Coats Disease. I went up to the altar for prayer at church and felt gentle hands on my shoulders behind me. I recognized her voice whispering prayers behind me. When I turned she was gone. She had no need for recognition, she simply needed to pray for me. She speaks God's Faithfulness.

I am encouraged by my friend Barbara - who is a quiet and gentle spirit, full of wisdom and experiences. As our friendship grows, I am surprised to discover how we go through similar things. She speaks God's Understanding to me.

I am encouraged by my Mom - who taught me to unclog a sink with Vinegar and Baking soda! (smile!) And even though moms get on our nerves sometime when we are grown mommies ourselves, she's always there when I need her. I know that I could throw up my hands and give up and she'd be there to take care of me and then gently get me going again. She speaks God's Comfort to me.

I am encouraged by my Dad who is the ultimate in generosity. He'd give his last penny to help me if I needed it. He has always been there to help me, even if the trouble I was in was by my own making. Its hard to sum him up in a couple of lines - so let me just say this, he has always been a grand example of God's Unconditional Love.

I could go on and one with this. I scratch my head and wonder why God has placed all these precious people in my life - does He do this with everyone???

What gives YOU courage?

To read the blog that inspired this post go to Incourage.me

A Mid Summer Night's Blog

It's the midpoint of summer vacation, and as you can probably tell from the silence on my blog...I've been busy! So I thought I'd throw a quick blog at you just to say, Yes, I'm still here!

I'd like to share some summer things that either work well for me, or just plain make me happy!

1. Once the hot weather hits, I start wearing sunscreen in place of body lotion. My favorite is "Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 50+" because it has a nice scent and feels light on your skin, not heavy and gooey.

2. Using a light scented body spray over my whole body every day helps me feel better on those really hot and sticky days!

3. Having the kids home equals a messy home. Concentrate on these areas to stay sane: Dishes, Laundry, and Making the beds. Most everything else can wait, and these particular areas go a long way in making you feel like you've got a handle on things.

4. Enjoy your kids! This is a big DUH for most of you. I, on the other hand, try every summer to keep up on things just as I do during the school year. This year, I've whittled the chores down to the few priorities listed in item #3, and made it a point to do something every day with Little Boy. And I'm not talking about anything too complicated, sometimes just buying a pay-per-view and watching a movie together is fun! Now that I'm not thinking about how productive I could be, I'm actually having fun with my kid!

5. Let the kids stay up late! I've been letting Little Boy stay up till 11pm, and as a result, he sleeps till 9:30 or 10am. Since I get up early with hubby (he leaves for work at 6am), I stay up after hubby leaves and enjoy some quiet time watching morning news and sipping coffee. Which leads me to the next item...

6. Try to get most of my quick chores done for the day while Little Boy is still sleeping so I can be ready to hit the day when he's awake!

7. Create a special holiday! We do "Jamba Juice Mondays". We went to Jamba Juice on one Monday at the beginning of the summer, and Little Boy said, "We should do this every Monday!" So we have!

8. Refuse to use the oven during summer. The oven really heats up the house and with the cost of electricity, I don't want the AC to work too hard! I make a vow every Summer that I will not use the oven, and I don't! I've even converted some "oven recipes" to work on the skillet or toaster oven.

9. Here's something I just plain love about summer: Dragonflies! I love when they make their appearance! They are such beautiful little graceful creatures!

10. Well, I actually couldn't think of another thing, but I wanted to end on an even number! So let's just say that my Number TEN favorite thing about summer is blogging about my favorite summer things/tips!

Enjoy the rest of your vacation!!!

Clueless!

The Season Finale of American Idol has come and gone - and as you may or may not know, this was my first season watching the show. (It really consumed a lot of my time, but I've loved it!)

My personal pick was Danny Gokey, who was eliminated last week. And truly, I'll be holding out for him to release something, because he is the BEST! I LOVED seeing him perform last night! Pairing him up with Lionel Richie was brilliant. (Lionel Richie is the soundtrack of my high school days!)

I also LOVED Alison Iraheta and Cyndi Lauper's duet of Time After Time. It was beautiful! I went on iTunes this morning to see if we could download any of the performances, but I found nothing! (bummer!)

But here's the main reason for this post today. I had to laugh at myself when I re-read the post I wrote at the beginning of the season. I had said that I couldn't figure out why the judges picked Kris Allen, and that I thought he was just "OK". Boy, was I ever clueless! I would have never guessed back then that he'd be the last man standing!

Congrats to Kris!

Not sure if I have the fortitude to face another season - I was on the edge of my seat every week! But yeah, I'll definitely watch next season because now I am hooked!

So NOW what do I watch on Tuesdays and Wednesday???

Church

Today is Sunday, and although I feel the desire to go to church, I haven't gone in weeks. Sometimes I've had a legitimate excuse - like going out of town on Mother's Day to visit my Mom-in-Law. And last night, Little Boy's friend spent the night over here, and they were up really late, so we all slept in this morning.

Then there were other weeks, when I could have gone. But I didn't. I've been feeling indifferent about going. Which kinda bugs me, because I've always loved going. But lately I've been craving something that I haven't been getting.

But first, here's my disclaimer: It's always hard to say that you need something else, without sounding critical of what you currently have. And that's not really my motive here.

My pastor gives a "lighter" message on Sunday mornings, because he wants it to be an atmosphere where you can feel comfortable bringing someone - someone who might be "searching". Someone who might not necessarily go to church on a regular basis. His messages are topical. Something based on scripture that you can apply to your life. He is good speaker. Very animated. Very funny. A real person you can relate to. But when I leave, I find that I don't feel like I've delved into the Word. I feel like I've gotten some wise advice for my life - and I guess there really isn't anything wrong with that. But the unflattering truth is that I don't want to sit through a message directed at an unbeliever, Sunday after Sunday.

There. I said it. I want to be nice, but I also want to be honest.

And yeah, I know what you might be thinking:

You get what you put into it.

You need to go there to give, not to receive.

Don't go with the attitude of what they can do for you, but what you can for them.

If you go with a good heart, you'll always learn something.

You should be learning the Word on your own, not just on Sundays.

And I totally understand all that. But truly, I don't think I'm going with the attitude of "what can they do for me?". I just want to go and learn and be challenged and get closer to Him.

My pastor does a more in-depth bible study on Wednesday nights, and when I've gone in the past, I've learned a lot. But I don't go Wednesdays. I like to be home on weeknights to make dinner for my family and be there when my husband gets home, and to help Little Boy with homework.

I've attended this church for about nine years. I've met some of my most beloved friends there. Friends that I can count on for true fellowship and for lifting me up when I'm down, and they know they can come to me for the same. So I'm not bashing my church. But I really am in dire need of something more.

My sister goes to an awesome church, and she loves it. She is so excited about it! I've gone a few times and I also download their podcasts. Their messages are awesome and challenging and scriptural and relevant. The sermons are topical, but they are also "meaty". But her church is too far from me. But that's what I want. To be excited, to be growing, to be challenged, to be intimate with God and His people.

And no, I don't expect Sundays to be the only time I hear or read the Word. I do read on my own, and I listen to my Sister's pastor, as well as others like Joyce Meyer, John MacArthur, etc.

So last week, I really gave this some thought.

And here's what I was thinking. Little Boy will be attending a new Christian school in the fall. And I was thinking that since he'll be going to school there, it makes sense for us to check out the church there as well.

But a couple of days ago, I talked with someone who goes there. They really like it there. But they said that it's kinda the same as my current church. Which puts me right back at square one.

I've been thinking..surely I cant be the ONLY person in my town who wants to hear a meaty sermon. Surely there exists a church that digs deeply into scripture on Sundays. So I Googled the churches in town and began to peruse the list.

Just so you know, my city has lots of churches. Lots of big churches. We visited a few of them before we found our current church. But if I am honest, I will tell you that most of them lighten up their Sunday sermon.

My sister tells me that kind or church is necessary, and perhaps she is right.

But, back to the list. I came across the name of one particular church that I actually drive by every day. It's caught my eye before because I remember once when I passed by, they had a sign up that said they were having "Apologetics Month". I was kinda intrigued, but soon forgot about it. But last night I went to their website and here's what I read:

Therefore, if you choose to make (us) your home church you can expect a strong, in-depth forty-five minute to one hour study on Sunday mornings. The teaching is from the Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. We will draw our wisdom and direction from God's Word and we as a church family consider it the final authority for all questions regarding faith, practice, etc. Sadly, this approach to ministry is becoming unique in American Christianity. All too often the Bible is abandoned, compromised or the message watered down.

I saw that they podcasted their sermons, so I downloaded a few of them. I started listening to one last night, which I thought was pretty good. The preacher seemed very knowledgeable about biblical theology. Not legalistic, but not postmodern. Very balanced. He gave a sermon about a topic (which he explained was a a break from their Sunday schedule - they are currently going through Hebrews, but took that Sunday off to speak about a particular topic). When he was done with the sermon, there was Q & A session about the topic, which I thought was kinda different. The whole thing seemed geared toward the Christian. And that is exactly what I am looking for.

(Not that I want to exclude the person who might be seeking. I welcome them to join us as we do our thing!)

I talked to Hubby about this and told him I'd like to check out this new church. He said OK. Maybe next Sunday.

So we'll check it out. Its not a huge church, I haven't heard anyone talking about it, nor have I run into anyone who has attended there. So anything can happen. I'll let you know how it goes whenever we decide to check it out.

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Casting Crowns -SLOW FADE video

One of my Facebook Friends posted this video today and it made quite an impression on me. I promptly posted it on my profile. But I'd also like to share it with you. It was the Dove Awards winner for best video.

(if you receive post by email, and the video doesn't show up on your message - click here to go directly to my blog to view it. I promise you it's worth it.)

Our Weekend "Excursion"

We finally got a chance to go the desert for some dirt bike/quad riding this weekend! We've tried to get away a few times in the past two or so months, but something has always come up. Either it's been raining or we had something else that had to be done. But this weekend, everything worked out, so we got the trailer packed and ready to roll!

We were going out there with our good friends, and had planned to leave at the same time so we could "caravan" out there. We figured we would pick up Little Boy at school, and then hit the road. At 3 o'clock, our friends still had a few errands to run, but told us to go on ahead and they'd be about a half hour behind us. No problem.

There was - as there always is on Friday afternoon - a lot of traffic heading out of town. But the place where we go ride is only 1-1/2 hours away. We called our friends to let them know what the traffic was like, and they still hadn't left! Turns out they still had to go to the bank, to the grocery store, and I don't know where else, but they seemed to be taking a long time getting on the road!

Little Boy was so happy to finally be going "camping"! That morning when he was getting ready for school, he had seen Hubby getting the trailer ready, and when he saw the trailer hitched to our Ford Excursion, his little eyes lit up! He said, "I can't wait!". And when we picked him up at school that afternoon, he walked out, saw the trailer waiting for him, and said, "I cant wait to get in that car and GO!"

So we hit the road, and were plugging along, fighting traffic. We were listening to some "Classic Pop" (Magnet & Steel, Only Time Will Tell..) Little Boy was playing his Nintendo DS in the back seat. Hubby got a gadget that allows us to be online on the road, so I was busily "Facebooking" while he drove! It was great!

But after about an hour, as we headed up a hill and around a bend...the car sounded a little funny...then it...stopped. Hubby reacted immediately and pulled over as quick as he could. The car died!! His best guess was that the transmission went out. Not good.

We called our friends to see how far behind us they were. They still hadn't left town.

We were on a highway, on a curve, so cars were coming pretty quick around the bend, and I didn't feel very safe sitting there. We decided to walk over to a restaurant that we knew was close by. As we started walking, I said, "I'm glad Daddy is leading this hike, cuz I thought the Cafe was the other direction!"

As soon as we began our little trek up the hill, a car pulled over and asked if we needed a ride. It was a man, a woman and someone in the back..I didn't notice if it was a child or adult. But I felt quite uneasy...which is probably a tribute to every movie I've ever seen where someone is stranded on a highway. I was really relieved when Hubby said, "No thank you, we're just walking to the restaurant over there".

The Cafe was a little place - there were a few people sitting at the bar, eating and chatting. It appeared that they were "regulars" because the waitress was sitting and talking with them like they were old friends. When we said we'd had car trouble, they all chimed in with some advice.

We called the Auto Club and they said a tow truck would be on the way. We started looking through the local phone books for a place to tow the car. The best idea was to have it towed back to our house, but we were an hour away from home.


FLASHBACK TO ONE MONTH AGO....

Me: Honey, our Auto Club membership is due..I was thinking that maybe to save money, we should just get the basic membership instead the the "Plus" Membership. We both have pretty new cars, I don't anticipate that we'll be needing to be towed 100 miles anytime soon.

Hubby: Why, that's a good idea, Sweetie! Yeah, go ahead and renew it with a basic membership.

FLASH FORWARD TO PRESENT TIME:

Me & Hubby: DOH!

(With the Plus Membership, you get free towing up to 100 miles. With the basic membership, you get 7 miles free towing. After 7 miles, it costs $8/mile.)


Our friends called and they had an idea: What if she drove their motor home, and he could drive his big truck to pull our trailer after our Excursion was towed. That way, we could still do the weekend!

That's why they took so long to get out of town!! :)

We told them that the Auto Club had sent a tow truck, and then mentioned our frustration with the fact that we had changed our membership to "basic". They said, "Wait! We have the Auto Club PLUS membership! Lets use our card!" Hubby called the Auto Club and told them that the people we were traveling with had the PLUS, and asked if we could use their membership for the 100 mile free towing. Yes, they said - we could do it as long as the Plus member was present and could sign for it.

Finally, the tow truck arrived. Although now we were worried that our friends wouldn't arrive in time to use their card! We told the driver about it, and he said he didn't mind waiting, but that his shift was almost over, and he would have to call in to his shop to find out if they would let him wait, or if they would want to send another driver. His shop said that was fine, but he'd have to tow it back to the shop, and then another driver would take it to our home.

At this point, Hubby told me he was going to go back to the Excursion with the Tow Truck Driver, and that we should wait at the Cafe. Said it'd be about 20 minutes. He walked out. Immediately, he walked back in and sat down. He looked over at me and said, "I'm not going anywhere". I was confused, but he said, "You'll see".

In walk two HUGE, HAIRY, guys with LONG grey scraggly beards. They wore flannel shirts and worn jeans, and they were loud and boisterous. This really struck me funny!!! But I was glad Hubby had chosen to stay!

As it turned out, the Tow Truck had enough seats for all of us, so we went back to our vehicle, and the driver began to load our car on his truck. As he was doing this, I saw our friends pull up behind us. Man, was I ever happy to see them! Perfect Timing!

We called my parents (who live on our street) and asked them to please go to our house and sign for the Excursion when it arrived. (Side note: When it did arrive, the driver wanted to be paid for it, because he processed the transaction with OUR membership, so there were a few frustrating phone calls back and forth, but the problem was finally resolved!)

When the Excursion was loaded on the tow truck, Little Boy and I hopped into the Motor home with my friend. Hubby and his friend stayed behind to hitch the trailer to his truck and then follow behind us.

We arrived at our destination at 9:30pm.

Well, it only took us SIX hours to get there!!!

Sheesh.

This and That

Earlier today, I was collecting clothes to do laundry. There were some clothes on the bathroom floor, so I bent over to pick them up. Actually, I bent over and yanked them because I was in a hurry. They just happened to be hooked on the corner of the cabinet, so when I yanked, I actually opened the cabinet hard and fast and it smacked me - hard - on the nose. Youch! I iced it right away because it was getting swollen, and I was starting to look like a boxer - not the dog, the athlete. I forgot about it after a while...until I looked in the mirror later. I have a nice blue bruise on the bridge of my nose. DUH!!!

*******

Best quote of the night from Little Boy as he watched Stevie Wonder on American Idol:

"Is he the American Idol from last year?"

*******

For the last couple of days, I've been trying HARD to get some good photos of my jewelry designs. I am NOT a photographer. (I should have asked Daiquiri for some advice!) I googled "photographing jewelry" and there was plenty of info. White Balance...yada yada...diffused light...yada yada... There are photography sites that give general info on taking pictures. Then there are the Jewelry sites, that give advice on how to photograph jewelry. Some of these jewelry designers say to take photos outside in the sunlight. Some say to buy a set-up with lights and tents, etc. Some say to make your own set up with a box and white tissue paper. It's quite confusing. Here are my sad first attempts:

Too Orange!









Too White!









Too Blue!









Just Right!








Hopefully I'll remember how I got that shot so I don't have to relive the frustration!

******

As the title of this post infers...this post isn't much about anything. Just this and that. Hadn't blogged in while so I wanted to just throw something out there.

Until next time...

Readings That Have Grabbed Me

Just because I've been doing more reading than writing this week, I thought I'd share the "Gems" I've come across recently. Click on the links to go to the sites - I promise you will love them.

I'll start out with something serious. This is from a blog called "The Dirty Shame". Its a beautifully written plea to God to remember us and forgive us as we fall short almost continuously. Here's the link: Dust

This is from the blog "Conversion Diary". It's an older post, but totally relevant. The name is self-explanatory. The Danger of Being Overloaded

For the final read, I'll send you to a lighthearted one that will make you laugh. This is written by a young man who will be married soon. He contemplates how women are different from men. His blog is new, but I got hooked on it quick. The writer is very funny and has a very clever wit. His blog is called "Life is Easy". The entry is called (click on link) Wedding Planner

Until the next post...

From My Friend that I Don't Really Know..

I follow a few other blogs, but this one is my favorite. Its called "Call Her Blessed" and it's written by "Daiquiri". Even though I've never met her, I feel like I know her from her blog! On Sundays, she writes a "Seek the Lord Sunday" post, and I really liked today's, so I wanted to share it with you!

Here's the link to it- enjoy!

Seeking An Unfair God

Just a Quick Minute to Talk About American Idol...

I am watching American Idol this season - its 8th season. You might be surprised to know that I have never watched American Idol before. Yes, its true. Never.

So I'm kind of new to the frustrations that come with it. I'm taking some time to discuss it here on my trusty blog. I'm venting. (I'm having a hissy fit, actually) And I have to wonder, is this the way American Idol always is?????

AUDITIONS:
I started watching during the auditions, and I really enjoyed that. Its so tear jerking to see the family waiting to see if their loved one "made it". They'd cry, I'd cry...it was heartwarming.


HOLLYWOOD WEEK:
Next came Hollywood Week. This was when I decided that Danny Gokey was the one I would be rooting for! That "Seal" song he sang...it had me at hello.

After Hollywood Week, the judges cut the list down to 36 contestants - and began to show 12 at a time. Out of each 12, three were chosen to be in the finals.

(Again, being a newbie, I'm wondering if this is the way its usually done...)


GROUP ONE:
For Group One, I was pretty satisfied. I thought Alexis Grace was excellent. And of course, Danny Gokey made it in. (If he didn't, I might have given up right then and there). Michael Sarver...eh...I could take him or leave him. But all in all, I was satisfied with the choices.

GROUP TWO:
In Group Two, I was happy to see Alison Iraheta make it - her rendition of "Alone" was spectacular! I thought Adam Lambert's "Satisfaction" was strange, but kind of intriguing, and the more he sang, the more I liked it. A very daring performance. I was glad he made it in because now I"m curious to hear more. Kris Allen made it in, but I have to say, I was kind of surprised. He's a good singer, but his performance of "Man in the Mirror" was just "OK". I thought Mishavonna Hensen's "Drops of Jupiter" was beautiful - I really think she should have had that spot.

GROUP THREE:
This is when it all started to go wrong.

The picks from Group Three are Jorge Nunez, Scott MacIntyre, and Lil Rounds.

No question about it, Lil Rounds deserves to be there. She was great. But here's the thing, I just don't love Jorge Nunez or Scott Macintyre. I'm sure they are very nice people, but I just don't
think their performances were worthy of those spots. Jorge is too screamy. Scott is kinda bland and I think his singing is very stiff.

But beyond that, what's really eating at me is that I just cannot believe for a moment that Ju'Not Joyner didn't make it in! (Who the heck is voting, anyway??) His performance was flawless and he got glowing feedback from the judges. His soulful rendition of "Hey There Delilah" was breathtaking! He is waaaaaaaaaaay better than Scott or Jorge. As a matter of fact, a few people were. Here's the LIST of additional contestants that were better than Jorge and Scott that night:

1. Kristin McNamara - she has a great voice, but for some reason, they just don't like her and really enjoy picking on her. I feel that their summation of her probably swayed the voters to dislike her.
2. Von Smith - He's kind of "hit and miss" with his performances, but this night, he was great.
3. Kendall Beard - She did a Martina McBride song, and she is a very good pop country singer.

But mostly, I am just stunned Ju'Not didn't make it.

STUNNED, I tell you!!!


WILD CARD PICKS:
At this point, the judges chose a few contestants to come back for a second chance. Great, I think to myself, Ju'Not will get another chance.

But...

WHAT THE...?

HE WASN'T EVEN IN THE JUDGES' WILD CARD PICKS! Now I'm thoroughly confused!

...It's just a show... its just a show...It's just a show...

AND..not only do they NOT bring back Ju'Not, but they actually DO bring back the ever-shrieking-constantly-chatting-overly-dramatic Tatiana! She CAN sing, but its overshadowed by her personality. (Actually, she'll probably get a reality show).

WILD CARD SHOW:
I was OK with the four that were chosen at the end of the Wild Card Show. No complaints, really. I'm just glad that Tatiana didn't make it. Although, considering how emotional and devastated she was when she was eliminated the first time, it seems cruel to bring her back only to eliminate her again. She is annoying, but there's not need to be cruel. What makes it worse is that more than likely she was only brought back for the sake of drama.

WHERE WE ARE NOW:
So here are the "Final 13":
(* = my top choices)

Alexis Grace*
Danny Gokey**
Michael Sarver
Adam Lambert
Allison Iraheta**
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds*
Scott MacIntyre
Jorge Nunez
Megan Joy Corkrey
Jasmine Murray
Matt Giraud
Anoop Desai

Let's see if I can take one season of American Idol.

***

I'll leave you with JuNot singing:

Dog, Fences and Daytrips

I've been working on Part II of my posts on Anxiety (for Part I, go here). I'm not quite finished, and I have to admit, it's a hard one to write. Anxiety is the kind of thing that seems to come back when you think about it. So, let me just say - I'm working on it slowly, carefully, cautiously and prayerfully. As soon as I it ready, I'll post it.

Meanwhile, things have pretty good. Besides last week when our dog ripped his paw open on a sharp end of a rolled up wire fence. I proclaim on a pretty regular basis how I dislike that dog...yet, he had a bit of trouble under anesthesia when they were suturing his wound - and the vet told us that his heart rate kept getting slower and slower and that she was afraid they would lose him on the table. (He's fine now). But I almost busted out crying in the middle of Petsmart when I heard that. Go figure. Maybe I kinda like him after all. (These are pics of him waiting to see the doc.)

Speaking of the dog - it was raining today and he refused to leave his little warm kennel to go out and do his business. So I'm standing by him, and all of a sudden, he starts growling and barking viciously! I about jumped out of my skin! Sheesh! Scared the bajeebers out of me. I could not imagine what he was barking at! Until I looked out the sliding door and saw this little wet dog roaming around our yard. I recognized him as the next door neighbor's dog! I peeked outside and saw the fence between us and our neighbors was DOWN. Yup, just laying flat on the grass, with a huge opening into the neighbors yard. The people (who are new renters) were not home. Finally, hubby's friend came and helped him prop up the fence and stabilize it until it can be fixed. Did I mention it's pouring rain outside? That was a fun task in the rain.

This weekend we took a day trip to Balboa Park in San Diego to see a couple of museums. We picked the Science Center and the Automotive Museum. It was pretty fun. But what really caught my eye was all the "life" going on around me. While the town I live in is large, it has a small town feel. So when I get to the "city", it's always interesting to see everything going on there. For example, there was a guy with a mic and speaker preaching the gospel to passerbys. There was also a group of people wearing t-shirts that said "Hug it Forward", and they were walking around giving hugs. Hubby said hi to a homeless guy and handed him a couple of bucks. Then he turns to me and says, "Why aren't the huggers hugging that guy?" I had to agree.

At one point, I stood, and looked from my far left all the way to my far right. and this is how it scanned: Lone guy playing the sax for money...homeless guy digging in the trash can...table with tarot card reader...people walking their greyhounds (about 25 dogs in all)...Hug It Forward people hugging...open air preacher preaching...Young couple having their engagement photos taken...kids playing by the fountain...two police officers on horseback...group of people in black trench coats and white or purple wigs...group of little girls arriving for a birthday party.

Here's hubby and Little Boy by the fountain...
Yup, people-watching was fascinating, but we had a great time at the museums as well. There was a machine at the Science Center that took your pic and then "aged" you. Little Boy tried it and at 25 yrs, he looked just like his big brother! We went to Spreckels Organ Pavilion, which is beautiful outdoor theater. The photo here is from my phone, so it's not real good quality, but it came out kinda cool with the sun shining down. All the old buildings at Balboa Park are really beautiful, so its nice to just walk around looking.

Today is President's Day, so Little Boy is home from school he's got a friend over, and they're a little bored cuz its raining and they can't go outside to play (although if I said the word, they'd be out in the rain in 2 seconds flat!) But for now, they are watching movies (Over the Hedge & Surf's Up) Meanwhile, I am sitting here, with you, and I'm starting to get a little cold in this office. Its 52 degrees outside, which is FREEZING COLD to me, but I realize that's a nice day for those of you in the colder parts of the world. I can see the snow on the mountains around us, and that makes me feel even colder! I think I'll go make myself my favorite tea - Good Earth Original

Til next time!

There Will Be a Day

The song says it all...





AMEN!