Alive & Well

We survived the storm.

Thar She Blows!!

Friday continued to be a "special" day, as my toilet decided to bust into her own party at about 9:30pm.  Yes, my toilet is a girl.  Not only did she refuse to flush, but she decided to spray water everywhere.  After the service technician came and went around 10:30pm, and I'd scrubbed the floor with the most powerful cleaner I could find, I found myself again chuckling.  "What a day!"

And now it's Monday, and good ol' Sandy has decided to come over for dinner tonight.  Funny how uninvited guests seem to pop in.  Right now, it feels like an average Oregon Coast winter day, but for these soft-hearted Virginians, it's a CRAZY STORM. The winds should start up around 6:00pm tonight, so we'll see how it goes.  We're hunkering down and enjoying the beautiful storm!!!

Stay safe. :)

It's the Best Medicine

Not all mornings go as planned.  Apparently this was the week for unusual times...first sleeping past my alarm due to a finicky phone, and now losing power just at the same moment I go to grab my hairdryer.

It's these moments I like to laugh.
Make-up application in the dark, wet frizzy hair that's too short to pull back into a messy bun, and McDonalds oatmeal for breakfast.

Ahh yes, these are the moments to laugh.

Happy Friday

Thank You, Barack Obama...I Think...

When the cashier told me the total for my CVS purchase, I was a little stunned to see that my prescription was free.  She hunkered down and whispered, "Birth control is free now."  Boy, did she get the look from me.  I replied (in a not-so whispering voice)..."Honey, don't be fooled.  I just paid up the gazoo for this prescription to be free because now I'm paying for everyone's birth control who doesn't have a job."  She just laughed and said, "Ahh, well I know what side you're on."

Sides...that's what we've come to.  How in the world is this country going to move forward if all we are is a billion people choosing one side of the gym like an elementary PE class?

I'm a bit riled up from my CVS visit, as you see...but honestly...I'm in awe over this divide between our people. We are split into two groups--those who serve and those who want to be served.  I don't expect my federal government to use hard-earned tax dollars to pay for my prescription. I choose to be on that pill, and it's my responsibility to find a way to pay for it.  Why in the world, would it even cross my mind to expect them to pay? It's a complete conundrum to me.

So, now I have a prescription that's probably worth more now than it ever was before sitting on my counter, reminding me that our country is heading for some trouble. Fun times...

Thankful

As I knelt down on my knees and tied the leather straps of the Bible period sandals around Andy's calves, I couldn't help but chuckle and think what other assistant gets to dress her boss up as Moses for a Government meeting?  Not every day has adventures like this morning, but I must admit my job does hold many quirky perks...like spontaneous ice cream runs across the street, mid-day movie breaks at lunch, and of course Halloween costumes.

I'm thankful for my job. It's so easy to complain about the long hours and stressful tasks, but over all, I am blessed.  I work with wonderful people and have a boss who knows how to have fun.

Tuesday Trials

Happy Tuesday from Hutch

The morning started off rough, waking up to a noticeably sunlit bedroom and seeing I'd slept forty minutes past my alarm.  I grabbed my phone to then discover it had died over night...the new iPhone 5 is sounding better and better each day.  Hutch didn't understand why I rushed his tiny little legs to "move it" around the dog park, and he looked like I'd left in a whirlwind as I said my farewell.
But, despite the rush and panic of getting to work on time (still made it seven minutes early), here I sit.  Heart pumping and head still feeling the foggy leftovers from sleep, but ready to attack another busy day.  All I've got to say is, "Oofta!"

It's an Art

I often gauge a weekend's success by accomplishments and tiny red check marks. But this weekend, though very productive, can be quite perfectly described with this photo...

Hutch and I are steadily learning the art of relaxation.  "The art?" you might ask.  In which I would promptly respond, "Oh yes, let me tell you all about it."  For me, relaxing is difficult.  I can't sit down and enjoy a movie when I know there's a pile of clean clothes to fold, a wet load in the washer waiting for me to press the dry button, and still another pile of dirties waiting for their turn.  It's almost impossible to sleep in when I know I have to winterize the plants and remove the moldy pumpkin from my porch.  All must be done, and until it's complete, this silly mind and body of mine can't seem to enjoy the relax phase...until now.

The art of relaxation (at least in Heather's world) begins with a simple decision:  It can wait.  I realized that not all loads of laundry have to be cleaned, pressed, and stowed back in their rightful places in one single day.  The plants will be there tomorrow.  The dishes aren't going to blow up if I don't run the dishwasher tonight.  Hutch can play by himself and doesn't need to be entertained (this one is especially hard to learn).

Once I turn my mind away from the checklists, I light some candles, dim the lights, grab a cozy blanket, and nestle into a good book while relaxing on the couch.  The last thing on my mind is a pile of dirty laundry.  Relaxation may not come naturally to some, but with a little effort (ironic, yes), it can be done...

Ducks, Metamorphosis, & Brain Matter

There's something comforting about the sound of whistles blowing, crowds cheering, and announcers talking non-stop about plays and records.  Football is just another must-have during Autumn, and I can't help but turn the channel to ESPN to catch an occasional glimpse.

I'm often in the kitchen baking up some sugary concoction while a game is on, but I have to admit it's one of my favorite sounds to have in the background.  But last night was different.  My plumper than normal rear end was stuck to the couch, and my eyes were glued to the set.  The Oregon Ducks schedule posted on my refrigerator (which happens to be held up with two Oregon sand dollar magnets) informed me a game was on--and I was ready.   I wasn't going to miss a single play during the Oregon vs. Arizona game.  Their Blackout had no chance.

Something you might not know about me...when I'm alone, I get into football.  The moment the first kickoff begins the game, my normally composed self morphs into a burly 40 year-old man sitting back in his recliner with a beer in hand.  Okay, so I don't have a recliner, nor does my hand hold a beer...but you get the picture.  The competitive ego emerges when no one is around to witness it, and I'm confessing now that last night, there were several fist pumps and whoops and woohoos.    Whenever the 40 year-old man takes over my regularly calm body, Hutch gets nervous and attacks me with kisses, probably trying to return me to my regular self... and it works...until my team scores another touchdown.

Anyways, what I'm leading up to with my long-winded four paragraphs is that last night got me thinking about how I act alone versus when I'm with others.  Why am I more comfortable throwing fist pumps when I'm alone and not when others might see the silly me come out? Where is my confidence when friends or family are around?  It's not a lack of trust in them...unfortunately I think it's truly a lack of trust in myself.

So there you have it...football gets the blood pumping, the arms moving, and even the head thinking.  Who knew?

Dull & Mushy

My brain is out of practice.  Without exams and research papers, I’m afraid it’s gone to mush.  Now, instead of excelling in historical facts and grammar etiquette, my brain recalls names of military officials and IT processes. Ask me about the components of a network, and I could break that puppy down in a matter of minutes.  Ask me who shot JFK or what year WWII ended…and you’ve lost me.  The fact of the matter is I’ve forgotten much of my school history, science, math, and yes…English.  I’m out of practice, and painfully showing.  

I decided it was time to begin challenging myself again.  The road may take me by way of an online class or a weekend course at a community college. But for now, it’s taken me to lumosity.com.  I’m strengthening my brain function daily by doing silly little puzzles.  The funny thing is…I’m already improving!  Check it out at: http://www.lumosity.com

It only takes about five minutes each day (or more if you buy the package rather than doing it free like me), and it’s quite amazing to see how fast you improve.  Get ready to pull out your math skills and memory game techniques—the game is on!  Operation Brain Sharpen.

Cuddles

This little guy has become quite the little cuddle bug. I awoke this morning to a little face nestled between my shoulder and ear.  It means washing my pillow cases every other day, but that's okay. I'll take a cuddle any day of the week!

Jesus: 10...Sin: 0

When the heart hurts, sometimes it literally throbs. A sharp pain stabs at the inner walls and wants to break free, screaming loudly and releasing the pressure built within.  Yet the only escape from pain is to take a deep breath, let the tears roll, and focus on God's grace and mercy.  I can't imagine what Jesus felt on that cross.  The amount of sins and hurts pressing down on Him was larger than the world, and yet he hung there, pierced and broken, taking it all in for YOU, for ME, for ALL.

I hurt right now--deeply.  I've disappointed loved ones.  Friends have chosen to let go.  Silence is deafening.  And yet--and yet--my pain is nowhere close to the pain Jesus bore on that cross from the very things I've done and the very things done to me.  Sin is mighty. It is big.  It is real.  But Jesus Christ MY Savior is mightier and so much BIGGER.

So while the stabbing pain in my heart feels crippling at times, I have strength knowing that I am saved from the very things causing that pain.  It can't rule me. It can't beat me.  The fight is already WON.

Taking a Stab

After Hutch's last adventure at the groomer's, I decided perhaps it was time to try the technique myself.  I'm no professional, and I have a LONG ways to go before I'll feel like the end result is up to par....

The clippers will come out again tonight so I can clean up some rough spots, but otherwise, he's looking alright.

He's cute no matter what in my opinion...I'm not biased at all.

Zing

You know that second right after you tell someone just exactly what you think of them?  In the moment, it unfortunately feels marvelously gratifying--like ice cream melting in a cone and dripping down your chin good--but it's the very millisecond afterwards that the ice cream sours and the only thing you want is to wash your face.  I regrettably am prone to this spill of words when they are least needed.

It's so eloquently put in You've Got Mail: "Someone provokes you, and instead of just smiling and moving on, you ZING them. Hello, it's Mr. Nasty."

I'm reading through the book of John, and the power in those red letter words is quite something.  No matter the time or day, Jesus always says something that hits home.  John 8 and the account of the Pharisees judging the adulteress woman reminded me of the many times I judge others when really I should take the plank out of my own eye.  Who am I to judge them, let alone express that judgement to their face?  Oofta--I am surely a work in progress.  I'm Mrs. Nasty hopefully on a narrow road to Mrs. Hold-Your-Tongue-And-Change-Your-Heart.

And as a quick side note, a special verse keeps repeating over and over in my head this week:  "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."  Maybe someone else can find comfort in it as I have.

Sore Tootsies

After a quick, minor surgery, Hutch is back to his normal self.  Three of his little toenails were cracked and revealing the quick, so he was in a bit of pain.

He's all better now, thanks to a quick fix and some pain meds.

He's still a little cutie.