Things that Last

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

I am 42. A lot of my friends are around my age, and we are at that age when any youthful beauty we may have had is fading away. Sags and bags are appearing in odd places. Gray hair is emerging from our heads. Yesterday I noticed some little purple veins in my legs that I hadn’t seen before.

When I was younger, I often looked with envy at the pretty girls. I have always been sort of a "Plain Jane." But now their beauty is fading away, and I see that those whose beauty was no deeper than their skin really have nothing left.

There were others who had a lot of money that I sometimes looked upon with awe. I thought they must be better than me in some way. But, as my pastor said recently, "if money is your god, you’re in trouble, because he’s going away, and I don’t think he’s coming back anytime soon." Many people who have had great wealth in the past are losing it now. Wow. They’re just like the rest of us.

What have I put my "stock" in? More and more I am realizing that if I put my hope in anything but God, it can and will be taken away from me at some point. He is the only thing I can hold on to that will never go away.

In these uncertain times, I urge you too to examine your heart and see what you are trying to hold on to. We don’t know what tomorrow holds or if any earthly thing will still be here, but we do know that God will always be. No matter what happens in this earthly life, those of us who know God can have confidence that we will spend eternity with Him.

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:7-8a

It's Hip to be Cheap

I live on a corner. We have a telephone pole in our front yard. People consider it to be public property and feel free to post their signs on it. Granted, it's not my pole, but it is my yard. I don't mind them putting their signs there as long as they take them down when they are outdated. But that's a "gripe" for another day.Today's blog is about the garage sales (or "yard sales") those signs advertise. This time of year, new garage sale signs appear on the telephone pole every weekend. More than ever before I have noticed cars stopping and reading the signs, then turning around if necessary to head in the direction they point. Shamelessly.

Another thing I have noticed is that Goodwill has become the "cool" place to shop. If people shopped at Goodwill in years past, they didn't talk about it. But now I see blogs, comments on Facebook and hear conversations in which people are bragging about the bargains they got there.

No one is ashamed to be "cheap" anymore. Which is a good thing, I think. Rather than a competition to see who could spend the most money, the competition now seems to be who can get the most for the least money.

The thing about garage sales and Goodwill is, they can't last forever. If the economy continues in its current trend and people continue to buy used merchandise, it will eventually wear out, and there will be no more used merchandise.

Just a thought to ponder.

Gardening Update #2

We've had SO much rain. That has been mostly good for my garden, though I have lost a lot of strawberries to sogginess. A lot of them survived, though, and I've been able to make 2 of my pies, one of which was a big hit when I took it to church last week. I've put 4 quarts in the freezer too, for strawberry shortcake or strawberry-pretzel salad later (I may share that recipe some other time). There are still a few coming in, but they are past their prime now.

Most everything else is flourishing. I have 1 little tomato, interestingly on the plant that I put in a pot because I ran out of room in my garden.

I planted pole beans around my corn stalks, so if all goes well, they will grow up the stalks. I have read about this and tried it once before. It didn't do very well then, but that was a really dry summer when nothing did well, so I'm going to try it one more time.

I visit my garden several times a day because something new is always happening. I think we'll have green beans and peppers in a few weeks, and other things won't be far behind. I can't wait!

Got It!

Well, Dell did what they said they were going to do and sent me a new hard drive. Kudos to them! I'm still working on getting everything like I want it, but so far everything seems to be working like it's supposed to. Now I hope it will last me a while, since my warranty is officially expired and I didn't extend it.

On a separate note, the Cedar Creek Community Band's second May concert is this Saturday, May 30, at the ampitheater at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet. It's supposed to be a pretty day, though a bit warm, but hopefully it won't be too bad. Hope to see you there!

Computerlessness

I am supposed to get my new hard drive today, if all goes well. I haven't heard from Dell, which makes me a little nervous, but I'm still optimistic.

But this "computerlessness" has been a good thing in many ways. I had a lot more time on my hands to read and do other things that I don't do much of anymore. Going through withdrawal has made me realize how addicted I am to wasting time on my computer, despite my resolve not to. I haven't been completely without a computer, because I could still use Don's to check my e-mail and do the things I really needed to do, but I'm not tempted to sit at his for long periods of time and just vegetate in front of it.

Hopefully this will be a lesson to me. A computer should be a tool, not a companion. I'm really going to try to remember that when I have mine again.

White Legs

I LOVE summer. I have very few complaints about it. But I do have one. White legs. Actually, I have white legs in the winter too, but so does everyone else, and it's acceptable to keep them covered then.

But now warm weather has set in (I am NOT, you understand, complaining about THAT). Which brings with it my dilemma.

I generally get some healthy color in my face, on my arms, and on my back if I wear a bathing suit. Not so with my legs. I can wear shorts every day, and my legs are still as white as they were in the middle of February.

The real problem with this is dressing up. Hose are no longer acceptable in the summer, at least in my neck of the woods, which means that I either 1) wear pants, or 2) wear a skirt and risk blinding people. I'm sure you can see the problem here. I have managed to find some skirts that come well below my knees so it's not so noticeable, so that's what I wear most of the time. But just consider yourself warned: if you see me coming toward you with bare legs, put on your sunglasses!

Fire?!?

Our fire alarm went off three times in the night last night. Needless to say, I didn't sleep too well.

I've learned not to be too startled by the fire alarm because we have one just outside the kitchen that goes off all the time when I'm cooking, but this one was downstairs, and in the middle of the night when no one was up. Each time it just beeped a few times and then stopped. The first time we weren't even sure that was what it was, but we went downstairs and looked around, sniffed for smoke, felt of the walls, etc. Nothing. Then we'd go back to bed and get settled down, only to have it happen again. After the third time I laid awake for an hour or more plotting an action plan if the house WAS on fire. Thankfully, we never had to carry it out.

I'm not sure what was causing this. It is a battery-operated fire alarm, and they always "chirp" when the battery is low, so I don't think that was the problem. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Update

Well, I have had both good and bad experiences with Dell today. I won't bore you with all the details, but they are going to replace my hard drive, at no cost to me, thankfully. Glad I had everything backed up because I can't get into my computer at all now.

The bad news is I won't get it until probably Wednesday. This means I am basically computerless until then (Don has one, which I am on now, but it just isn't the same). I guess it will be good for me to "fast" for a few days, but if you need me, the phone is your best bet.

Computer Woes

It all started about 3 weeks ago. My computer, which has always been a bit quirky, shut itself down, and I was unable to re-boot it. After spending FIVE HOURS on the phone with Dell, my computer was up and running again, though still acting a bit quirkier than usual.

About a week ago it happened again. Since a lot of things had already been ruled out, Dell was able to resolve it more quickly. It was running again, but a couple of times I got messages about serious errors that Windows had recovered, and it has continued to re-boot itself at odd times, which is maddening when I am in the middle of something!

Yesterday I got an error notice that my hard drive was failing. The ironic thing is that my warranty expires TODAY. So of course, when I called Dell, they told me I really ought to extend my warranty another year -- for only $180.

I told them that I didn't have $180 to spend on that, and I felt they needed to get this problem resolved since it occurred before my current warranty expired. I spent an hour or more last night on the phone with them, and it shut itself down several times while we were working on it, which I was sort of glad of because at least the guy was able to experience some of my frustration.

At 10:00 (his getting-off time), he told me to back up all my files; he would call me today, and we were going to reinstall Windows.

I'm not looking forward to losing everything on my hard drive; there are some things that can't be backed up easily; but if I have to, I have to. I only hope that this will take care of my problem, or at least that Dell will continue to work with me until it gets resolved.

So, by the time all this is over, I will either be singing the praises of Dell, or I may have some not-very-nice things to say about them. I'm sure you'll hear about either way (assuming I have a computer to blog on).

Happy Birthday Hannah!

My niece Hannah is turning 7 today. The little girl who had to spend a week in the NICU when she was born has come a long way!

I love watching her grow up and seeing her personality emerge. Of all my nieces and my nephew, she is probably the most like me: a bit shy, but not afraid to make her opinions known. Her talents seem to be developing in artsy areas. She loves knowledge, but absorbs it in non-traditional ways, a family trait that I definitely inherited too. She has a fondness for animals and can’t seem to get enough of them.

She spent the night with me this week, and we had a fun time together. We wrote and illustrated a book about her birthday celebrations she’s had so far, picked strawberries, made some beaded jewelry, played with my pets and went shopping for a birthday gift. She is a sweet 7-year-old, and I am proud of her!

Happy birthday, Hannah! I hope you have a wonderful day. I am so thankful that God gave you to me for a niece!

One Down, One to Go

We had the first of our two May concerts last night. I practiced A LOT this week and played better than I expected to. The music was really above my head, but I did the best I could.
My entire family came out to watch and support me, which meant a lot to me. My mom helped sell tickets. Afterward we all went to Dairy Queen for ice cream and to celebrate my niece Hannah's birthday, which is coming up later this week. All in all it was a nice evening.

Beautiful Berries

I have been getting a handful of strawberries every day from my garden. They are tasty!I am hoping they’ll start coming in a little faster so I will have enough to make my favorite strawberry pie. I got this recipe from The Laura Ingalls Wilder Country Cookbook.

Rose’s Strawberry Pie

3 pints strawberries
½ cup water
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
whipped cream
pie crust (see below)

Sort 1 pint of the smaller or imperfect berries and cook in water, boiling for 3 or 4 minutes. Mix sugar with cornstarch and add to glaze, stirring constantly, until glaze is clear and thick, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Arrange remaining berries in the pie shell. Pour lukewarm syrup over, coating every berry. Chill and serve with whipped cream.

Hot Water Piecrust

½ cup shortening
¼ cup boiling water
1½ cups flour
Scant tsp. salt
Scant tsp. baking powder

Put shortening in bowl and pour boiling water over it. Stir until smooth and creamy.
Sift flour with salt and baking powder. Stir flour mixture into liquid until it forms a ball. Chill at least ½ hour.

Roll out dough and fit into 10-inch pie plate. Prick all over with a fork and bake at 500° for 6 to 8 minutes until light brown.

Yum!

While we’re on the subject of strawberries, here is a picture of my garden that I took from an upstairs window. The back left square is my strawberry patch; back right is herbs, and the 2 in front are vegetables. A neighbor’s cat has been coming over at night and using it for a litter box, which causes me to think evil thoughts. I’ve also had a quite a bit of trouble with bugs and rabbits helping themselves, but that’s usually less of a problem once everything gets past the seedling stage. Otherwise, I’m looking forward to a great harvest!

Summer Nights

Facebook is a place to express yourself, preferably in a non-offensive way. They have all sorts of things that you can identify yourself as a "fan" of. Some of them are silly. I recently saw one that I related to: Summer Nights. I became a fan of summer nights.

Actually, I always have been one. Ever since childhood, I loved going out on summer evenings and catching fireflies, sitting outside with family or friends enjoying the cool of the evening, camping and sleeping in a tent, hearing the crickets chirp, staring at the stars, swimming in a pool that has its lights on, watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, grilling out, the long days . . . what’s not to love?

I’m so glad that we’re getting into that season. I should be in a better mood for the next few months. Summer does that for me.

Two Upcoming Band Concerts

The Cedar Creek Community Band, in which I play flute, has 2 concerts coming up:

The first is Monday evening, May 18, at 7:00 p.m. at Mt. Juliet High School. Admission is $5/adults and $3/children (under 10 is free).

The second one is at Charlie Daniels Park in Mt. Juliet on Saturday, May 30, at 3:00 p.m. Admisison is free, but donations will be accepted to cover costs.

These 2 concerts will feature the same pieces of music. All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Our Judeo-Christian Nation

I recently watched the movie "The Sound of Music." I have seen it many times in my life, though it has been 2 or 3 years or more since I last saw it.

I related to it in a different way this time. One of its main characters, the Captain, is fighting throughout the movie to keep his beloved homeland, Austria, from being taken over by the Nazis, though he knows he is fighting a losing battle. At the end he and his family escape the country after he is told he must report for military duty to fight for this cause which he detests.
I related to it because I believe that we, too, are watching the nation we know and love slip out of our hands.

I recently saw this video of a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives made by Randy Forbes, a Representative from Virginia. He is disputing a statement that President Obama made publicly that we are no longer a Judeo-Christian nation. It is just over four minutes long, but I believe it is worth watching.



I would encourage you to pray more than ever for our nation. I believe that we WERE founded on God’s principles, and He is the one Who made us great. To turn our backs on that history is to deny God’s power and His blessing on our country. We are at a crucial point in our nation’s history where, I believe, if we don’t fight for what we have, we may well stand to lose it.

Mother's Day Brunch

My church had a brunch yesterday for Mother’s Day. They asked my brother Andy to be in charge. At the time he agreed to do it, he didn’t know that this would be the week they would be moving to The Jungle, that their house would need to be cleaned out for the renters to move in on Saturday.

But he pulled it off. All of it. And he did it with style!
The men (including my dad and Don) did the cooking, and the youth waited tables.

The food was delicious. The appetizer was "layers of seasonal fruit with vanilla yogurt and crunchy homemade granola." We had a menu with a choice of entrees. I chose "Peaches and Cream French Toast" with "Maple Glazed Bacon" and "Roasted Red and Yukon Gold Potatoes." For dessert there were chocolate-dipped strawberries. Yum!

My mom, who doesn’t usually attend our church, came for this affair. My sister-in-law and nieces and nephew were, of course, there too. Everyone went away with a very full stomach and lots of happy memories. Rumor has it that my brother went home afterward and took a long nap!

To My Mom

"Her children arise and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28a

I want to wish a happy Mother’s Day to the person who gave birth to me, who rocked me to sleep and sang to me, who sewed clothes for me and read books to me, who spent sleepless nights with me when I was sick or afraid, who commended me when I did well and corrected me when I did wrong, who has made many sacrifices so I could have what I wanted or needed, who puts up with me even when I drive her crazy, who tries to be a Godly example for me to follow, who isn’t afraid to admit her mistakes to try to keep me from making them too, who has always loved me even when I felt like no one else did, who has done far more for me than I could ever remember, and who I am very thankful is such a huge a part of my life!

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom. I love you!

Love,
Jill

KFC and CBS

KFC (formerly known as "Kentucky Friend Chicken") had coupons on the Internet today for a free 2-piece meal with their new grilled chicken. After fighting with the computer for about 30 minutes to print them out (the website warned there was high traffic and printing may take time), Don and I set out to get our free dinners. We first went to the KFC in Hermitage, which was a mob scene, so we drove a few miles down to the one in Mt. Juliet, which was somewhat better.

The chicken was pretty good. Now, if you're in the mood for some greasy fried chicken, this probably wouldn't do it for you, but if you want a slightly healthier option, it wouldn't be a bad choice. I looked at their nutrition information, and the grilled had 180 calories and 4 grams of fat for a breast, compared to the extra crispy, which has 490 calories and 31 grams of fat. That's quite a difference!

On a separate note, today was the last day of Community Bible Study for this year. We all met together and those who wanted to shared what God has taught them this year. It was kind of a sad day, as I don't know if I will be going back next year.

Below is a picture of most of the leaders I worked with this year. This is the last year for Jennifer, a/k/a Smelling Coffee (back row, third from right). She has done a wonderful job as our teaching director and we will sorely miss her. I am so thankful for all of these women and the impact they have made in my life.

Blah

Well I haven't updated for a few days because there isn't much going on. It is still raining, though we did get enough of a reprieve yesterday for me to mow the grass, which was much-needed.

My brother and sister-in-law and their family have rented out their house and moved in with some friends to save money for a year. Eleven people, 4 dogs, 2 cats and 5 guinea pigs in 1 house! They have jointly started a new blog, "Welcome to the Jungle," which I have added to my blog roll. Better them than me! It will be an interesting story to follow though.

Today is my last day of Community Bible Study, which I am kind of sad about.

I hurt my shoulder about a week ago when my dog Nash, who I had on a leash, suddenly jerked my arm backward. It's amazing what you do and don't do with your shoulder. I had no trouble mowing my whole yard yesterday with a push mower, but I have trouble changing my shirt. I'm hoping and praying it will get better on its own, because I know someone with a similar injury who was told by the doctor that only surgery would correct it.

I am looking for a part-time job. This is easier said than done. I'm kind of picky, though I'm gradually lowering my standards. I'm still working for Weight Watchers, but not nearly enough. I'm hoping to keep at least one of my groups if I do get something else.

So, that's about it. Nothing too much going on. Hopefully soon I'll have something more to blog about.

Exciting Gardening Times

It has rained. And rained. And rained for the past several days. It is supposed to keep raining all week too. This is not good news for me, but it is good news for my garden.

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For me, this is the most exciting time in my gardening year. Every time I go outside, something new has popped up out of the ground, and the rain is helping things move along more quickly.

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Here are some of my "babies" (clockwise from top left): corn, potatoes, broccoli and cucumbers. It never ceases to amaze me what God can produce from a little seed.

My strawberries are coming along very nicely too. I had my eye on this, my first one, until a bird beat me to it. ) : I have since covered them with a net to keep the birds out.So, I'm trying not to complain about not being able to go for a walk, or that our grass is nearly knee-high, or that I'm just generally ready for some sunshine. I'm at least happy to know that my garden is flourishing. ( :

Libertarianism

For the second time recently, after listening to me rant, someone told me that I sounded like a libertarian. Then I went home and took a quiz on Facebook which said that’s what I was.

I wasn’t even sure exactly what libertarians believed, so I did a web search. I found this page, which explains it pretty well. It basically amounts to wanting a very small government where people live by their own standards.

I thought this through and discussed it with Don. It seems that this was more or less the way our country was run from its inception until around the 1960’s, when moral relativism set in. Since then, Scripture-based moral values and common sense have increasingly gone out the door.

I don’t think that with that background, libertarianism would work in this society. What we now have is a government that is making more and more laws, and which we are depending on more and more in the form of police protection, lawsuits, etc., to protect us from others who don’t have the same sense of morality that we have.

So, I guess a libertarian society is my ideal, but I don’t think it’s realistic at this point in history. I would like to think that revival will come and we could return to that way of government and life, but as long as there is no common set of morals in our society, I just don’t think it’s an option.

I certainly don’t think our current form of government is working either, so what it basically amounts to, in my opinion, is that spiritual revival will be vital in the very near future if our country is going to have any hope of continuing to be great.