You're Always 17 In Your Hometown

I grew up in an itty bitty East Texas town. When I was there we only had one traffic light. It now has three, but that’s because the state highway built around the town and cars trying to cross the highway on their way to or from town were taking a beating. So, an overpass was built and two more signals put in. Now there’s a whopping three lights. That’s two too many for me. I don’t like “progress” messing with my memories. There’s a new high school. Instead of a bell they play classical music between classes. What in the heck is up with that? Actually, I think it is pretty cool. Not the lights, the classical music.

Anyway, a great guy in my hometown started an email list for anyone that loves the community to join. It has given birth to an “opinions” forum that a select few belong to. I think one of my opinions might have helped in that birthing process. It set the email list on its ear and there are heads probably still reeling from my bizarre views. I’m considered by some the liberal of the bunch. I choose to live in a fairly large city. Racial slurs send me over the edge. I believe if you make a statement you better be able to back it up, especially if you are trashing someone. Jesus is greater than ANYTHING. We should be reaching out to the “least of these”. I live in America because that is where God has put me, but I would move to a “less desirable nation” if that is where He wanted me to live. I don’t believe that our nation was built on Christianity. You get the picture. I’m not East Texas normal.

The great guy in my hometown that started the email list is hurting right now. His son is back in the hospital for the third time in two weeks. He has battled cancer, but the doctors don’t think that is what is going on right now, yet they haven’t ruled it out.

I grew up with Dick’s children. His son is a little older than me. Dick is a prince. He takes my kidding and harassment and dishes it right back to me. He is my kind of guy. I think some people were a little distressed by the way we went back and forth with our jabs, but he cleared it up that it was all in love and I explained that I only beat up on those I care dearly about.

Pray for Dick’s family. They are in pain. I was in bed, but I had this great urge to get this out.

I'M A FAILURE...

as a homeschooling mother! Tonight during the NCAA tournament a commercial came on with a very large four legged animal starring. My 12 year old said that he didn't understand why they didn't just train a moose to walk through the hall.

ME: "That's not a moose."
SON: "Okay, then a gazelle."
ME: "That's an ELK!"
SON: "They're all the same."
ME: "No they aren't. I'm a failure!"
HUSBAND: "Bullwinkle's a moose and he doesn't look anything like a elk."
SON: "Bullwinkle's a cartoon character that hangs out with a squirrel that can actually fly."
HUSBAND: "But he looks like a moose."
SON: "No he doesn't."

I'm a failure.

I Just Don't Understand

It has rained here in Plano ALL DAY LONG. Roads are flooding. Rescue missions are having to be done for people who choose to drive around barricades. It is still coming down. I don't like to be out in the rain. I like watching it, but I can't stand having it hit my skin. The commercial that sings "feel the rain on your skin" gives me the creeps.

My middle daughter loves to be in the rain. I don't know what is wrong with her. She didn't get that trait from me.

Since I hate being in the rain so much dinner was a "whatever is in the fridge and pantry" meal. I was not about to get out in that downpour.

I must say that I didn't like the pantry/frig combo this time. Sometimes it is a winner and I guess in a way it was. What drives me up the wall is that at least three of the occupants of this house liked the concoction. One of them is my pickiest eater. What is wrong with this boy's taste buds? He didn't get that trait from me.

Here are the ingredients of tonight's pantry/frig combo:
grits
hamburger meat
verde enchilada sauce
fajita seasoning
jack and cheddar cheese
mozzarella cheese

Ain't No Reason

There ain't no reason things are this way.
Its how they always been and they intend to stay.
I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday.

Preachers on the podium speakin' of saints,
Prophets on the sidewalk beggin' for change,
Old ladies laughing from the fire escape, cursing my name.

I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same,
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing,
You can spend your whole life workin' for something
Just to have it taken away.

People walk around pushing back their debts,
Wearing pay checks like necklaces and bracelets,
Talking 'bout nothing, not thinking 'bout death,
Every little heartbeat, every little breath.

People walk a tight rope on a razors edge
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons.
It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pen
Or a thought or a word or a sentence.

There Ain't no reason things are this way.
It's how they always been and they intend to stay
I don't know why I say the things I say, but I say them anyway.

But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set me free, yes.

Prison walls still standing tall,
Some things never change at all.
Keep on buildin' prisons, gonna fill them all,
Keep on buildin' bombs, gonna drop them all.

Working your fingers bear to the bone,
Breaking your back, make you sell your soul.
Like a lung that's filled with coal, suffocatin' slow.

The wind blows wild and I may move,
The politicians lie and I am not fooled.
You don't need no reason or a three piece suit to argue the truth.

The air on my skin and the world under my toes,
Slavery stitched into the fabric of my clothes,
Chaos and commotion wherever I go, love I try to follow.

Love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set me free, yes.

There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday.

LOST

Okay, so Michael being the spy on the ship is not a shock. Saw that one coming...

but i do not want jin to be dead.

I do Not want Jin to be Dead!

I DO NOT WANT JIN TO BE DEAD!

Discombobulated

Have you ever felt discombobulated and not really been able to put your finger on why? That was me yesterday. I got work done. I was introduced to nice people. I saw new things. I went to new places. But, I just felt very out of sorts.

I had an overwhelming urge to know that there were still people in the world that cared for "the least of these". That cared for the hurting. That knew they existed and wanted to do something about it.

It was weird. Ever felt like this?

Michael Jackson and Puppies

I'm not a morning person. I believe that mornings should begin around 10:30 a.m. But, yesterday I found myself headed to a homeless shelter at 8 a.m. for very long meetings. No food in my belly and more important to my ability to function - no caffeine. When those meetings were over I grabbed a bowl of Raisin Bran so fast my head was spinning. It was followed by a coffee chaser. An hour later I headed to a venue to hang out with "rock stars". I think I might be getting too old for these kinds of days. I dragged myself home late last night and collapsed into bed. I think I spoke to my husband at one point.

Because of one of the guys in this band and one of the guys in this band I will never be able to think of Michael Jackson and puppies in the same way. Not that I have ever spent a lot of time thinking about Michael Jackson and puppies, but if I ever do it will not be in the same way.

I rubbed my hands over one of these guy's face…because he had fuzz on his chin and it was bugging the “mama” in me. I told him he ought to be glad that I didn't give him a spit bath.

We discussed my issue with tight spaces – as in the thought of a sleeping bunk on a bus gives me the heebie jeebies and how I can’t sleep in a zipped up sleeping bag and how it is my Uncle Larry’s fault that I have this problem because when I was little bitty, and yes, I once was little bitty, he would sneak up behind me and roll me up in the quilt my grandmother put on her floor for me to play on. It was decided that I have a serious problem.

At one point a person in this band and I discussed how having four children isn't that hard. The first baby changes your life forever. With the second you are so overwhelmed that you feel you will never survive. By the third you've got it down. The fourth is a cakewalk. You barely realize you've added one.

These are just some of the deep meaningful conversations back stage last night. And you thought it was all just goofing off and laughs.