Holding the World in a Paper Cup

Archive for May 2012

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Eating Out....side

Chuck likes to cook.

Apparently he also likes to serve Charley and I, because he does it all. the. time.

Lucky us right?

On this particular night he took serving to a whole new level.

Here's our waiter, telling us in words that don't match

his clothes, face, body, or name, what's on the menu.

Simple man. Fancy words.

Charley and I were SO fancy that night too. I mean just look at us! Charley has on a large, round, shiny, disk dress and I have on my uniform t-shirt. We're a class act.

I love a simple man, with fancy words, who cooks.

Wouldn't you?

4 Comments

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Church Goers

This church is within walking distance from our house.

All of the churches we've visited are beautiful.

Most, hold so much history, and it is apparent that great effort has gone into preserving the history in each one. Tin ceilings, arched passageways, ornate stained glass, wooden pews, creaky hardwood.

We are a Christian family.
We understand the importance of attending church.
That's why we've been on a mission.
Our mission?
To find a good Bible believing church with and strong youth department.
Our church search has not been an easy one.
We've had a surprisingly difficult time trying to find a good fit for our family.
Through it we've learned, one of the most
important parts of church, is worshiping with those that you feel closest to.
Fellowship with those whom we feel most comfortable with.
Here in Mathews, we've found it difficult to make that connection.
There have been some who've been happy to reach out, attempt to pull us in, make us feel comfortable. Make us feel less like outsiders.
We really appreciate that.
But somehow we've still find it hard to really sync with any one congregation.

Sadly, most of the Baptist churches we've visited consist mainly of elderly folks.
While it was a blessing to experience each one of those churches, as parents we have to focus on the opportunities for our child to learn and grow in God's word.
I felt saddened leaving each one, thinking about the day when those churches will close the doors for the last time, having no new generation to carry on for them.

While we're Southern Baptist by birth, we haven't let that limit us in our search.

We've visited the Methodists, Episcopalians, and Catholics.
Though the services were beautiful, we found ourselves lost in the motions,
never fully understanding, therefore never fully appreciating the process.
In the end we've decided, we deeply, deeply, miss Dwight Baptist Church.
Dwight Baptist is the church I grew up in.
There were a few years that I broke away during my parent's divorce and for a short time after, while trying to establish my independence, but Dwight Baptist will always feel like home to me. Chuck and I were not only comfortable there, but we learned so much, thus strengthening our faith and our family. Plus it's nice to know you can leak a few of your worries to one of your aunts and rest assured the whole congregation will have you on their prayer list by nightfall.
(Thankfully, one can be an out-of-towner and still be on the Dwight prayer list.)
We didn't make it to Dwight every time the doors were open,
but now, being so far from home, wish we had.

We have found one Methodist Church here in Virginia that we are going to try to insert ourselves into.

There is however, one downside to settling on one church.
I can no longer wear the same dress every, single, Sunday.

Every. Sunday.
It's ok.
No one knows.

2 Comments

Sunday, May 13, 2012

A Happy Mother's Week

So a few days ago I had a birthday...

My family made on over me a lot that day.

(When I said "made on over me" at work, a co-worker asked me to define it.

Made on over me - to make a big deal out of, to celebrate a person)

The dog wants my cake...

He ain't gettin' it.

(Ain't - is not)

She ort to smile

(Ort - should)

My Gift Before My Gift After

I have the BEST family.

Last night Chuck was whipping something secret up until the wee hours.

This morning he put it in the oven and delivered it to the coffee table piping hot.

The whole platter.

It was a Mother's Day Quiche.

Then Chuck and Charley cooled me with paper fans while I ate, and gave me several cards full of love. Charley even danced me a dance and gave me one of those pieces of paper that mean so much....

And when I asked that sweet little thing to go upstairs and get my book because it was Mother's Day she replied, "Uggggg. That's too much about you this week."

Then she stomped off to retrieve the book.

Happy, happy, day.

I spent much of the rest of the day playing patty cake in the grass, collecting ladybugs, tending to a baby snapping turtle, dumping her out of the wheelbarrow, and scrubbing her grass stained knees and dirt covered feet in the bath.

Mothering is good, good stuff.

And having a mother is a good, good, thing too.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mama!

I love you SO much.

5 Comments

Friday, May 4, 2012

Meet Trouble

This dog, oh, this dog.

Lemme tell you a little story about this dog.

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped Charley off at school and was just about to head in the direction of work, when I remembered I'd left the oven on. So, when I was at a point where I'd have to make the decision to turn left for work or turn right for home, I called Mom. I was hoping she'd say, "Oh, it's just on broil? It'll be fine for 8 1/2 hours. Go on to work." She didn't say that. Instead she said, "Go home NOW. Turn off the oven. You'll be lucky if your house isn't already on fire." Oh, ok. I turned right, arrived home, found that I had left a science experiment full of vegetable oil directly on top of the potential fire zone, and cut the oven off. Then I left the house, already late for work. About a half a mile down the road I saw this lady, in a brown uniform, leading my dog, with her leash, into the back of a vehicle marked with the letters, S-H-E-R-I-F-F.

I say, I say, something like, "Ummm, THAT'S MY DOG!!" while hanging out the window of my car. She says, something like, "I'm sorry mam. This dog will have to be taken into custody until we can have a hearing." I pulled over and got out of the car.

It seemed that My Friend was busted red paw-ded attacking another dog's face. Thankfully the other dog was large like My Friend and suffered only minor cuts. My Friend was bitten on the leg during the scuffle and wasn't able to put his foot on the ground for 3 days.

I don't know who started it but I do know it was about a girl.

After talking to her a while, the deputy seemed to gain confidence in me as a pet owner and released My Friend to me. After several days of unease, we learned that we were going to receive a warning with no fines. We were so thankful.

The owners of the other dog were inclined to expect us to pay their vet bill, but since My Friend was injured also, and both dogs were guilty of trespassing on someone else's property, we felt obliged not to. Based on the evidence, we've deduced that this was simply 2 male dogs, doing what dog's do (fighting over a girl in heat), and no dog in particular was at fault. We've been told, there is a chance we'll be sued in a civil court based on our feelings, but Chuck and I are sticking to our guns, and still believe in a world where dogs fight and the owners each take responsibility for their own, without laying blame where it doesn't belong in order to cover a vet bill.

This was no pit bull attacking a poodle situation.

This incident has changed My Friend's life. We've decided to put him on house arrest. He is no longer allowed to be outdoors without us present, and if only Charley is supervising, he must be on a leash.

Oh this dog, this dog, who lives in my house most of the time....

this dog needs a fence he can't Houdini over, under, or through,

before I lop his pointy little head off.

5 Comments

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Bubble Snakes

Hello!

Just thought I'd share this simple kid's activity.

I originally found the idea on Pinterest.
Just cut off the end of a water bottle, rubber band a piece of washcloth or sock to the bottom, dip in bubble solution, and blow into the other end.

The outfit Charley is wearing is one she created herself.

Periodically, I add strips of fabric to her dress-up bin and she finds a use for them all. She's got her own set of safety pins and uses them to fashion the fabric. She is quite the designer.