As Promised

Well, news, news, and more news. Heathykins knew this was coming, so I'm so sure he was holding his breath. Lol.

Dad reads my blog. I knew this, but it didn't quite register when I posted. So, big shocker, I IMed him last night to tell him about buying my new computer (which he wasn't too happy about) and he told me this: "I've always told you the truth, so I read your blog. Don't follow your hormones. Follow your heart and let God lead you in any new relationships and whatever you do at school. Focus on classes first." That was actually my paraphrasing, because I can't quote it word for word, but I really almost cried when I read that. I felt so much better!

I talked to him today. Greg, the guy from the previous post. I told him that he could hate me and I would understand, but that I just want to be friends. He said ok and hung up. He called me back a few minutes later and asked me if I was serious about being friends or if it was just a "cop out". I told him that I was serious. So we discussed how we were gonna handle this and talked for a while just like before, and we're cool now. I feel SO much better! Thanks for your advice, guys and gals. So I have a new friend and no relationship. And now I know to be straightforward at the very beginning about where I stand on what I'm looking for in a guy. Right now, that's nothing serious.

So I'm good. Yay! Classes are going great, life is pretty much on track, and, with the exception of our mirror falling off of the door at 4 in the morning, life is just wonderful. I realized last night that I LOVE to draw. I drew a little Chinese village and it was pronounced as "awesome" by our house artist. I drew a dragon that "rocks", also according to the house artist. Jessica is her name, btw. My roommate and I are getting along and my suite-mates and house-mates are so TOTALLY GREAT!!! Anyway, I appreciate thoughts and prayers. Love and hugs!

The Truth

Ok, here I am, spilling my guts. Honest. And I need advice. Quick. There's this guy. We met and hit it off last Monday and saw each other the next day and the next, etc., and then again today. And yeah, we kissed, but nothing else. But I don't know what to do about this. I don't feel comfortable with the relationship. I can talk to him about anything, more so than any other guy, but I don't feel like we should be anything more than friends. He's supportive and sweet and friendly and a theatre major, like me. But he's mixed. And he's kinda chunky. And his voice is higher than mine. Shouldn't I be blind to any flaws in an ideal relationship? My gut instinct is to say "no" to the whole situation and run. I'm not comfortable and I'm not at peace. But I don't want to lose something so great that is his infatuation with me. I feel accepted and beautiful with him. But I don't know if I want to be seen with him. I know that sounds terrible, but I'm trying to be as straight-forward as possible. Mixed, for those of you who need clarification, means that one parent is white and the other is black. In this case, his mom is Irish-Indian and his dad is 3/4 black and 1/4 Mexican. With my own personal standards and views, I don't honestly feel comfortable as his "attachment". For whatever reason. I'm not racist by any means, but racial mixing... I really don't know what to do. I'm confused, overwhelmed, and very uneasy about everything right now. I'm SOOO not ready for this. So, help? Advice? Tips, ideas, suggestions, or previous experiences? I'm lost and I don't know where else to turn. I know, sob story of the month, but I'm lost. I'm almost in tears. I told him I want to take the weekend off and he SAID he was cool with it, but he's a guy. So that prolly means he's not cool with it. 'Nough said. I'm not ready for this, I'm not read for any commitment outside of classes and friends and sleep. I'm going to bed now after some thought and prayer. This weekend will be my time to just be. I haven't "been" since I got here. Man, this is so screwed up. What now?

Distracted...

Hey all! How's it goin' in the world of the normal? My life is pretty peachy right now. Acting I is going to be so much fun! English is really awesome because we get to have group discussions. Science is dominantly geology for the semester. Yay, right? I'm gonna have to take serious notes for the science class. But that's ok. I don't have to buy a lab manual after all, so that's cool. I still need 6 novels for English, but I'll order those online. I have the first one I need, so I'm pretty much all set for now. Don't know about history, but that'll fix itself tomorrow.

Being a theater major is a lot more complicated than I thought it would be. I have to audition for every production and deliver a monologue. Which I don't have. And I have to sign up for crew and hope I get the place I want. I didn't know it was going to b so involved and it's a little frustrating. I have meetings and auditions today and tomorrow. Fun fun. Might stay out late tonight cuz my first class isn't until 11 tomorrow. I guess I'll hang out with Greg, if he ever calls. Or maybe Lisa or Heather or April... Or maybe even DJ. Well, I'm slightly distracted and preoccupied, so excuse the shortness. Later all! Love and hugs.

COLLEGE!

Hey all! Word from tha COLLEGE GIRL!!! Hehe. I stayed up really late last night, had a fairly productive morning this morning, and plan on havaing some fun later tonight. Gonna maybe go back to my cousin's apartment and chill with her and her buds. Met my suitemates and housemates. All very cool, lemme tell ya. April, Colorado, Heather LA (Louisiana, not Los Angeles), and all of the crazy, eccentric, smart guys down the hall. Then there are the guys from the apartments accross campus, my friends from school, and so many more random people worth meeting... I don't know where I'm gonna find the time to meet all of these people! I'm so excited! I'm so glad to FINALLY be at college! Yay! Whoo, deep breath. I'm gonna order my own computer soon, but I think I'll wait until after I get the money from my cow. After the cow sale. Anywho, I'm super excited, all unpacked, and so happy! So, I'll talk to y'all later. Love and hugs to all!

Today's Anthem

Breakaway
Intro (2x)
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da da da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da
Da da da n da da da da da
Grew up in a small town And when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
Dreaming of what could be And if I'd end up happy
I would pray
Trying hard to reach out But when I tried to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here But something felt so wrong here
So I'd pray, I could break away
CHORUS
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky.
Make a wish, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness and into the sun.
But I won't forget all the ones that I love
I'll take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away
(repeat intro once)
Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane
Far away
And break away
(REPEAT CHORUS)
Bridge:
Buildings with a hundred floors,
Swinging 'round revolving doors
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me
But I gotta keep movin on, movin on,
Fly away,
Break away
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly.
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye
Take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.
Out of the darkness & into the sun
But I won't forget the place I come from
I gotta take a risk, take a chance,
Make a change, and break away.

D-Day

Today is the day! We're moving in! I'm SOO pumped! But I'm riding over there with Mom and I'm afraid she's gonna spaz on me about being careful and making right choices and all that jazz. I don't think I could handle her crying all of the way. Connie, her co-worker said yesterday that I need to be nice to her, that she's taking this really hard. And she is. Harder than she took my brother moving to college. What am I gonna do? Pray for me, that I'll have patience and strength and the courage to tell her how things are and not be rude or impolite. I'm worried just thinking about it...

College update

Hey all. My address, for those of you interested in reaching me via snail-mail, is:
Pam the Spatula
Box 44860 SHSU
Huntsville, TX 77341

I heard from my roommate. She seems pretty cool, very friendly. She's a junior, dance major, and in the honors program, like me. We're in the honors dorm, so that's kind of a given. She's bringing the TV, VCR, and DVD player, and I'm bringing the phone, fridge, radio, and shower cleaner. We'll pick out curtains when we both get there so we agree on colors, etc. I'm soo pumped!!! 3 days left!

Good One

You gotta love their humor.

In case you can't read it, the little black box says "DOING THE WORK OF"

This SHOULD be on the front cover of Time, Newsweek, etc. But it won't be. The flags are France, Germany, and Russia -- in case you didn't know.

I got this in an email and just HAD to share. Love and hugs!

Freedom

I've decided that I'm not really shallow but rather that there are things in my life I've learned not to dwell on if I want to be happy. Or at least appear happy to all who look at me and my behavior. But I really think about serious things of consequence quite often. Like how Mom is freaking out because I'm moving away to college. And Dad is really having some trouble with the cow stuff. And Derek has to decide what he wants to do with his life before he really knows what he wants. And Brandy is having a tough time facing college and allowing herself to have the love she deserves from Derek. Somehow I don't feel as shallow when I examine my thoughts, only my posts.

I'm sitting here watching the baby (18 months now, he's fine, btw, just allergic to penicillin) play with puzzle pieces in a bag. He's shaking them up and down with the happiest look on his face; he loves the fact that he's making all of that noise. Somehow it's more relaxing watching just him than watching his older brother, too. I guess 5 just isn't the calmest age.

I'm beginning to get really excited about college. And my poor stomach is feeling the effects. I'm absolutely pumped at the chance to get to really be myself to the utmost. In high school I was always restricted by what might get back to Mom and Dad or what image I was conveying in light of Derek's friend circle and popularity. I wasn't worried about being part of a particular group but rather being part of every group. I was and am confident in my ability to float from group to group and be welcome in each one. I was never proved wrong. But now, as I turn this page in my life I see the endless possibilities.

No longer am I to be bound by the worry of prejudices and judgment. I am dedicated to my own cause. I won't change or back down just because someone says so. And changing will be from personal growth, hopefully spherical in nature. I know I sound a little like a spoiled child, but I am in fact a growing young woman desiring the freedom meted out by our great country and demanded by my own soul. But don't worry; it's not in me to be completely and totally selfish.

The "real" me is a very silly, super-outgoing, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet little soul that very few have glimpsed so far. My orientation buddies have seen it, but only I know just how bizarre I can be. Fortunately, it's never so extreme that I can't laugh about any reactions that I would've presented in retrospect.

An interesting thought: if we wouldn't have been brought up to expect those rights and freedoms granted us by our constitution, would any of us be the brilliant minds to come up with the ideas and to demand allowance for them?

Here's an interesting and rather off the wall observation. Carl, the assistant band director either has a serious blushing problem, I embarrass him, or he likes me/thinks I'm pretty. I'm not brazen enough to ask outright, but I can't help but wonder. He doesn't do it with everybody. He did when he first started working here, but not anymore. Just around me. Sorry, that was just a random stream of consciousness.

I don't know when I've ever been this excited, except maybe when I started Kindergarten. But I already knew most of what they could teach me. College is like the information highway and school as just the on-ramp. Eventually I'll exit onto the feeder* of my profession and enter the residential district to raise a family. But I'll always have access to the things I've learned and things yet to be discovered.

I recently stated that God has given me direction, and while that's true, it's not what I always thought it would be. It's more like watching doors close and turning another direction rather than force the door. It's like a process of elimination. At least I'm at peace.

The burdens of my life somehow seem lifted, leaving me incredibly free and high-spirited. It's been a really long post and I hope it made you laugh at least once. And thank y'all for reading, though I can't quite figure out why y'all hang around. :D

*Feeder: the road that runs parallel to an interstate or major highway and immediately exits onto city streets.

Yaupon Trees

Do y'all remember a while back advising me to go out and just sit in the woods and calm my soul? Well, I did, in a way. I went out in search of a yaupon tree to make a bow out of. (Not a very useful venture.) I found a pretty little straight tree and cut it down with an axe I had borrowed from Dad's shed and proceeded to measure, trim, and “peel” it. I don't know how much experience y'all have with yaupon, but if you don't get all of the saturated wood off of the tree it turns this nice greenish-brown color. But it carves right off, just another layer of wood. Well, inside this little tree there were veins. I don't know what else to call them, and that's what they looked like. They're a rich brown color to contrast the pale cream color of the freshly carved wood. They start in various places and grow smaller as they proceed up the tree. But new veins start periodically just as big as the lower ones. I realized this after working on the first two layers for about 45 minutes. So I set to exposing these veins. I found two main ones and followed them up the tree. It was a painstaking process to carve out just enough to expose the richest color without removing the entire vein in each place. I actually went through too far in several spots and there are little half-centimeter gaps in the path. But it was very rewarding work. I set it in the rafters to dry and might go out and find a bigger one to work on next Saturday. I’m really glad I had that chance. It’s very cool to find hidden treasures in nature. Just thought that was worth mentioning. Love and hugs. Toodles y’all.

Smells and Labels

Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory. So, here are my faves: babies; fresh-cut grass; horses; guys (except for one or two I've met); men's cologne; vanilla; cape jasmine; gardenia; spearmint; lemon; roses; hot dogs; pickles; fresh tomatoes; rain; dirt; new cars; summer – heat, sweat, sunscreen, floaties, riding in the boat in the lake with the spray hitting my face, homemade ice cream, new flip-flops, watermelon, new bathing suits, sand, the ocean, food on the grill; crayons; sunflower seeds; clean clothes fresh out of the dryer; pizza; kool-aid. I'm all out of smells. Anybody got any more?

I have this awesome costume planned for the Ren Fest this year. But I need some help with the name. I'm going to be Dragonfly (sorry Porkchop), but I don't know if I’m going to be an elf or a nymph. I could just be Dragonfly of the woods, but that's kinda lame. Here's what I'm thinking. A two-sided cape, one side brown, like dirt or trees, and one side green, like grass and leaves, etc. A tank top for the base and mesh or sheer fabric in earth tones in layers on the top, with the bottom edges cut like leaves. A skirt about mid-thigh would be the base for the bottom, with the same layered cover as the top and brown leggings under the skirt. Brown or green boots or black ballet flats, a dragonfly necklace and ring to match, possibly earrings, (silver with a green stone, leather string on the necklace), a brown leather belt with a soft, pliable drawstring bag and leather wrist-bands will accentuate the outfit. A wooden bow, arrows with suction cups on the ends (so I can shoot people), a boot dagger, and possibly a sword will eventually complete the look. So, now that you have an idea, back to the dilemma. A nymph, by definition, is a lesser goddess, portrayed as a beautiful girl, inhabiting fountains, trees, rivers, and mountains. An elf, by definition, is a little creature of folklore with magic power, often mischievous or malicious, but sometimes kind and helpful. Pixie, imp, sprite, fairy, dryad, goblin, leprechaun, brownie, demon, gremlin, hobgoblin, troll, and gnome are all names that the thesaurus lists as antonyms. Help, anyone?

Just to help you decide, here are a few more definitions. Pixie: a small, mischievous elf or fairy; imp: a little or young devil a mischievous sprite; sprite: a fairy, and elf; fairy: a small supernatural being, capable of intervening in human affairs, usually in order to help; dryad: a nymph living in a tree; goblin: a mischievous, ugly spirit; leprechaun: a small mischievous male sprite; brownie: a good-natured goblin supposed to do helpful chores at night; demon: an evil spirit or devil; gremlin: an imaginary mischievous little gnome-like creature blamed especially by airmen for mishaps; hobgoblin: a mischievous male sprite; troll: one of the supernatural beings, formerly thought of as giants, but later as dwarfs, inhabiting caves, hills, etc.; gnome: a member of a race of small misshapen imaginary beings, originally guardians of the earth's subterranean treasures a goblin or dwarf. I think that knocks out leprechaun and hobgoblin, and I really think demon, too. I'm not going to be evil. Aight, it's up to my wonderful devoted audience to decide my fate. :p So, comment away!

Good One

You probably missed it in the rush of news last week (?), but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published an ad in a newspaper offering a reward to anyone who killed an American ... any American.

So an Australian dentist wrote the following to let everyone know what an American is so they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!)

An American may be English, French, Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian, or Greek.

An American may be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Arab, Pakistani, or even Afghan.

An American may also be a Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.

An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.

In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.

An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world.
The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the right of each person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need.

When the Soviet army overran Afghanistan 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!

As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.

Americans welcome the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, and the best athletes. But they also welcome the least of these.

The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.

Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. I've been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 other countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.

So you can try to kill an American if you must.

Hitler tried.

So did Tojo, Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.

But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.

Australian author unknown.

News and Stuff

Hey all. A few new developments. My big bro is talking about joining the Coast Guard. Don't know where he got the idea, except that he's always wanted to fly. I think it's pretty cool, and Mom likes it a whole lot better than if he was to join another branch where deployment to the sandbox would be guaranteed. Hey, she's his mom, and he's her only son.

Other than that, my schedule is completely wacky this week. I babysat yesterday and Monday, (but yesterday was more like a fun day with an 8-year-old) I'm off today, and I have to work tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow I don't have to be there until 2 pm. Friday is regular time. Go figure. We were going to go watch "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", but the matinee didn't start until 1, wouldn't have been over until 3, and then we wouldn't have made it home in time for her to go to karate class. Long day. Went and dropped a car full of stuff off at Goodwill, went to Wal-Mart, went to McDonald's, went to the high school to visit a few teachers I’ll miss when I'm off at college, saw my old counselor, then went down to the middle school to drop my charge off with her mom. Now, mind you, these things were in two different towns, about a 30 minute drive apart with a stop at my house, which is right in the middle, on the way back. We stopped at my house and watched "Chicken Run" and ate pizza and candy from Wal-Mart.

Then I went to Mema's for a visit and to see a dress she had ordered but didn't like. She wanted to know if I wanted it before she sent it back. It was too short for my taste and a little unflattering, but it was a cute dress in a very pretty green. I was almost sorry to let it go, but I knew I would never wear it. A friend of mine saw my car and brought her baby by to see me and visit. The baby as SOO cute! He's 7 months old and only weighs about 20 lbs. He drools like a leaky faucet, but he's still precious.

As I sit here typing this, (I typed this a day before I actually posted it, so I'm typing in future tense) my brother and father are wrestling on the floor. Very interesting. Derek is bright red and Dad is calmly overpowering him by sheer mass. This is what we do in the boondocks. Wrestle while trying to dodge dogs and chairs and breakable things after Mom goes to bed. Anybody know where I'm coming from on this one?

All of my childhood Derek and I have wrestled with Dad and each other and his friends. In fact, about half of his friends are still a little scared of me because I never hesitated to haul off and punch 'em when they deserved it. That makes for a rather difficult situation to change. No boyfriends from that particular group of his buddies. But the memories are rather priceless. Hangin out with his buddies was always more fun than hanging out by myself. In fact, I often found that I preferred doing stuff with them over stuff with girls my age. Most of the guys were only a year older than me, so the age difference wasn't a barrier. Derek didn't exactly welcome my presence, but playing guy games like Fort and War and Hunters and all of the other nameless creations of our imaginations was the highlight of my summers.

I never really lived up to my tomboy potential unless I was spurred by the presence of a boy/guy/man who is interested in gross guy things like frogs and bugs or a really girly-girl who found such things absolutely disgusting. I don't do the bug thing when I'm alone or with my best friends, and I had never in my life picked up a frog on my own until about a month ago at my uncle's house. Heh. I'm kinda weird. I know. My best friends are an interesting combination of fear and courage, wisdom and stupidity, and girlishness and tom-boyishness. But that's why we get along so well. I guess my friendships are, as everything else acquired of my own volition, eclectic.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I tend to have sudden bursts of self-discovery and I just happen to share them here. So bear with me and feel free to comment and suggest as always. Love and hugs! (Is that better Heathykins?)

The Results of our Prayers

Thank you all so very much for your prayers. Heath, I almost cried when I read your comment and saw your site. Thank you. That means a lot. More than you know. Chad, God healed her, but not in the way we were hoping. She'll never hurt again, and she's in a better place. Her life never would have been normal again after all of the trials her body suffered. Tammy passed away officially on Thursday, the 28th. They decided it was for the best. The boys took it differently: her oldest punched the wall; her youngest broke down. Her visitation was today and the funeral is tomorrow. Chad and Casey, her two sons are doing as well as can be expected. They weren't crying when I went and saw them, but you can tell they're really hurting. I'll go to the services tomorrow, but what can you say to them? We had a Sunday School class sleepover Friday night and that was the burden I shared with the group. They're still on my heart. That sleepover was an awesome experience. But keep praying for the boys. I'm still concerned that they'll let this ruin everything, change their dreams, and that they'll give up on life. I know it can't be easy to move on with life when it feels like there's nothing left to live for. But with God, all things are possible. So thank you all again for your prayers. I want to share a blessing that I only recently realized. I've been really busy this summer, more so than ever before, almost to the point of exhaustion. But I've had this little nagging thought for some time telling me it's time to find "the one" for me. I'm programmed to love with everything I have, and not having someone to call my own is beginning to bother me more than ever before. But my busyness, my super-active summer, and all of the babies I take care of are God's gifts. I'm too busy to be lonely! I cried when I realized what He's done for me. Now I'm not worried. I'm still learning, but I think I'm ready to let go. Just wanted to let y'all know that He's still working! I'm off, so toodles for now. Love to all. More than you could possibly know. Thank you all again for your love and support!

PRAYERS NEEDED

Ok, seriously urgent prayer request. A lady we know had a massive stroke due to the rupture of an aneurism. Some guys found her and woke her oldest son (20) up and he called 911. The men left and thought nothing more about it. Until they life-flighted her to the nearest intensive care unit. In Beaumont. She flat-lined twice on the way there and is currently on a respirator. She has been deemed brain-dead. Her youngest son is my age – we graduated together. He was in Missouri when it happened. Her husband was in California. He is on his way home. Her son caught a ride with one of the richest men in our area on his private helicopter, sent especially to get him and bring him home to his mom and brother. Their father will be the decision-maker when he arrives. So pray for a miracle. Or for some relief for the boys from this devastating blow. But pray that they don't become bitter from this, no matter what happens. Tammy, the lady to whom this happened is a local, raised in the area and a good friend of many of the school staff and students. Her sons both had lots of friends. So this will be a hard blow to take. Please, pray. Pray hard.

Just a Thought

What if the reason can't set my mind on anything slid or definite for my future is that something monumental is going to happen to change all of my plans? Like a tragic accident or finding a husband with whom I wouldn't have to work and help maintain the household. Or getting "discovered" before I finish college. Or the Rapture. Or dying. I've always found myself disturbingly morbid, so it's not a new thought. I'm not suicidal. I like myself too much for that. But wouldn't that be a great reason behind my shallow, indecisive thoughts? God doesn't want me to bother with thinking about the future because something amazingly unexpected is going to happen and leave me on a whole new world (Aladdinish, I know). Or not.

Oompa Loompas are cool. So are Sunday afternoon naps, new CDs, family and get-togethers, shrimp gumbo, and late graduation gifts. But missing people isn't. I'm gonna count and see how many times I miss various people throughout my daily life and report back. Aight, toodles y'all.

Baby News

Hey all. Quick update. The baby is better as far as his hives go, but he has a possible secondary infection from the lack of "good" bacteria after the first round of antibiotics. He had a little bit of fever today, and his hives popped up a tiny bit, but he recovered from both very quickly. Thank you all for your prayers! Love and hugs.

Prayers and Jokes

'Nother prayer request, y'all. The baby of the two boys I babysit during the week had a severe allergic reaction to something Wednesday night. They don't know if it's eggs, peanut butter, tomatoes, or the antibiotic he's been taking, but he's breaking out in hives and isn't very comfortable right now. He's taking a steroid and benadryl to control the reaction. And today, he fell off of my lap (I was sitting in a chair) while reaching for a crayon that was too far away and hit his head on the linoleum floor. Nice goose egg and a pretty bruise. Poor baby. He cried for a while after that one. He's fine now, but it scared me a little. Just pray that they find what he's reacting to and that it's not something that will change the whole household's lifestyle.

On to other things. Astroworld was a blast! Had so much fun playing in the rain! And we get to go back because we got rain checks. Yay! Saw this at Mark's website and thought you might enjoy.

At a small terminal in the Texas Panhandle, three strangers are awaiting their shuttle flight. One is a Native American passing through from Oklahoma.

Another, a local ranch hand on his way to Ft. Worth for a stock show. The third passenger is an Arab student, newly arrived at the Texas oil patch from the Middle East.

To pass the time they strike up a conversation on recent events, and the discussion drifts to their diverse cultures. Soon the Westerners learn that the Arab is a devout Muslim. The conversation falls into an uneasy lull.

The cowpoke leans back in his chair, crosses his boots on a magazine table, tips his big sweat-stained hat forward over his face. The wind outside blows tumbleweeds and the old windsock flaps, but no plane comes.

Finally, the Native American clears his throat and softly, he speaks: 'Once my people were many, Now we are few.'The Muslim raises an eyebrow and leans forward, 'Once my people were few,' he sneers, 'and now we are many. Why do you suppose that is?'
.......

The Texan shifts the toothpick to one side of his mouth and from the darkness beneath his Stetson says, 'That's 'cause we ain't played Cowboys and Muslims yet.'

Yay for Texas!!!

Blast from the Past

Hey all. Thought I'd share a few interesting tidbits from my past. I was digging through my keepsakes the other day and came upon this piece of paper with the following words (as actually written, spelling and all): "Pam I am sheriff pam. I kech robbers. I get off at noon. I go back at done. Remember I am sheriff pam and I will areste you." Cute, huh? It was very humbling to realize that I was such a terrible speller when I was little. But I was about 4 when I typed that on a typewriter at Granny's. I looked at it and knew that y'all would love to read it, so there it is. My job description for some random play-time imaginary setting.

I also found a few quotes and poems. I'll post the poems later, but the quotes are really good, so they're going up now.

'Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your own nonsense." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"God did what we wouldn't dare dream. He did what we couldn't imagine. He became a man so we could trust Him. He became a sacrifice so we could know Him. And He defeated death so we could follow Him." ~ Max Lucado

Other than that, not much is going on in my life. I had a craft spurt last night. Mom gave me some new, clean, small paint cans and I covered them with cloth and paint and buttons. Very cute. I might post some pictures if anybody's interested. They took me all of about 5 minutes each after I manipulated the cloth to do what I wanted. The first one is covered with a red bandana print and then various colored buttons – mostly red, white and blue. The second one is covered in denim from an old pair of jeans. I was going to put a back pocket on it, but the can was too short for the pocket, so I put a front pocket on it. The back side is covered with plain denim (from the leg) and then painted on. I wrote PAM and drew a cute little flower. The lids are covered the same, respectively, and I wrote PAM on the denim lid as well. I'm thinking about giving the red can to my roommate when school starts.

We're going to Astroworld Thursday! I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and I have to drop stuff off at the auction barn this morning, and then go boot shopping. I desperately need some cowboy boots. I haven't had a pair in over a year and I really need some to complete the western look for cow sales and such. Well, I'm off to take a shower and go do my chores for today. Love to all! Hugs and kisses to everybody that needs 'em! Oh, btw, Jared is doing better, but he still needs our prayers. And everyone be sure to comfort Heathykins on the loss of his four toofs. And Coleman brothers – all of y'all are awesome! I'm really glad y'all are part of my daily blogging experience! Of course all of my other visitors are awesome, too, especially Porkchop, who got me set up in the first place, but I had this crazy dream about the Coleman brothers flying down to Texas last night, and I thought at least props were in order for people who stay in my subconcious long enough to produce a dream. Lol. Aight, later!

Prayers needed

Our big buddy Jared is injured. Keep him in your prayers. I know God will heal him, and we're already thankful that the damage wasn't worse. It could've been. It doesn't seem like it, but His time, His will, His way.

Injuries:
3 busted ribs
deflated lung
concussion
fractured pelvis
possible back injury
temporary memory loss

Serious prayers needed here. Special love and hugs of support to Chad and Heath, younger brothers of Jared. Guys, we're praying hard!