Unspectacular Quirks

Okay, since I've been "tagged" to list my quirks (six, only six), I'll be a good sport and share my peculiar (yet unspectacular) traits.

First this: The Rules
1. Link the person(s) who tagged me
2. Mention the rules on my blog
3. Tell about six unspectacular quirks of mine
4. Tag six fellow bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

My quirks:

1. It's not unusual for me to laugh (without intention) just as I am falling asleep. Often times, just as start to enter dream land, something seems very funny to me (in my half asleep state), and a laugh (out loud) just rolls out. When that happens, it wakes me up. The dream instantly disappears (without any memory of it), and then I can't help laughing at the fact that I just laughed out loud.

2. My husband chuckles over the fact that I prefer cleaning up the kitchen and taking out the trash, to going grocery shopping. So, he is happy to do the grocery shopping for me! I love it!

3. I evidently have somewhat contorted knee joints (like my daughter has contorted elbow joints). I find it very comfortable to sit with my legs extended and knees turned in toward each other, flat to the floor (or bed).
4. Although, I am frequently told I have beautiful hair color, my hair is still it's own natural color. It has never been artificially colored in any way, yet, at nearly 59 years of age, it barely shows any gray or white.

5. My baby toes have no toenails! (never did--never will, I guess) Actually, there is a tiny edge of a nail that occasionally grows out, just enough to feel, but it is so sharp, I keep it trimmed off.

6. I seem to fit in as easily in the high-polished, executive business world, as I do in the fun-loving, down-to-earth, country-bumpkin life. My life style must be ambidextrous!

Now, it's time for some other fellow bloggers to tell their "unspectacular quirks" -- I tag:

Cary, Debbie, Rebecca, Cindy, Pam

Oh dear, I can only come up with five names! Maybe I can get my husband to join in the fun, and put his quirks here on my blog. Okay, Larry--tag, you're it!

A Little Update

One more sleep alone till my honey comes home--about 24 more hours from right now, if all goes as scheduled. He has been in Palm Desert (California) all week, taking a class related to his new job.

His job is going well for him. They seem to really like him and respect his insight and expertise in the world of bank loans.

I continue to search and respond to job postings, but nothing has been offered to me yet. I've lost count of the number of resumes and applications I've sent out. There are mixed feelings about this situation: We need the added income, but it's been so nice to be at home during the times we've had company staying with us this summer.

Our house has been up for sale (by owner) for a couple of months now, but no serious interest has been shown yet. We plan to have one more open house this weekend, and then if there is still no interest shown, we will probably list it with a realtor.

Our Heavenly Father certainly knows our financial situation, yet has not shown us His remedy. Still, He continues to take care of our needs. He has always taken care of us before, and will continue to do so. We will continue to trust Him, no matter what it looks like.

Family Ties

Today was a good day! Got the house all back in order...laundry done, bed sheets changed, things put back where they belong, left-behind items packaged up to mail back to the owners, kitchen cleaned up, etc. Even got in a visit with a friend, and a phone call with my daughter.

However, the house is still a lonely, quiet place. One might expect that a quiet house after a week of company would be a welcome sanctuary, but...NO! I like it better when it has the noise and fun of the younger generation--namely, my daughter and grandchildren. I love them; I enjoy them, and I miss them when they're not around.

Maybe communal living would be a nice thing. Maybe families should stay in close proximity. Maybe this thing of stretching our wings and doing our own thing is not how it was meant to be. But, then, where would the line be drawn between families and extended families, and both sides of families that just keep growing with in-laws being added.

Oh, how I long for Heaven and home!

A B C' s

I am up late tonight; all alone. My husband is away on business. My houseful of company (family) for the last week is gone. The house is way too quiet. There is music playing (I got tired of the TV interupting my thoughts), but it's still way too quiet.

I am simply alone with my own thoughts, reminiscing the visit with my daughter and grandchildren over the last week--the sights and sounds of happiness during the last six days. Where did the time go?

Why do families end up living so far apart. Of course, there are good reasons why this happens, but those reasons do not comfort me when I miss them.

Silly me! I resorted to thinking through the alphabet--all of the family names, middle names etc., etc., etc. . . . I started writing them all out on this blog post and then realized how incredibly lengthy it was getting. So, I deleted all of it, although it was a fun little exercise!

I must be desperately lonely tonight! From such a noisy, busy household for six days, to a completely empty house! It's a good thing I have Jesus to talk to--"a Friend who sticks closer than a brother".

Moments to Remember

They left for home (Montana) this morning, but after six days of fun and many special moments, I'm sure the afterglow will remain for much longer than six days. It was a wonderful visit, and they will be muchly missed!

Enjoying the Visit

Arriving today . . .

Drum roll, please . . .


....
Please hurry, Sherry! I really need to see my grandchildren (and you too)!

Beach Party!

If "life's a beach", then it should be a beach party! And, what's a party without lots of people? Okay, that limited time offer has been extended -- all of my family and friends are invited!

Now we just need to figure out the details and the financing of it.

Life's a Beach!

(just dreaming)

Anyone want to run away with me?

..H A P P Y ...B I R T H D A Y ...U. S. A. !

Day is Done

And, so is our six-day visit with our friends from Southern California.


At Island Cafe -- one of our most favorite spots to eat when the weather is nice. Larry and Dave are sitting at the far back of this picture, near the edge of the boat dock.
Here's Maggie, in her favorite environment--
a place to shop (on the dock where Island Cafe is situated.)

Every day with Dave and Maggie was such a delight! We hated to see the visit come to an end, but it did--too soon. We've been close friends since 1993 when we went to a Club Med resort (Huatulco) in Mexico, together, in a group of seventeen people. We went knowing others in the group, but not each other. We came home with a brand new friendship that grew deep over the years, and now, fifteen years later, though living far apart, in two different states, it seems like only yesterday that we were living near each other and enjoying incredible times together.

It's one of those friendships that never loses its closeness, no matter how far apart friends move from each other. That kind is the best! (We have several of those, and those of you reading this, know who you are.)

Their "g'bye" card to us says: Friendship...The path between friends is measured not in miles, but in memories. You're always as close as our favorite memories of you." That's so true! That's how we feel about all of our close friendships. You are our treasures, and your friendship is truly a wonderful gift to us!

Thank God for friendships that never fade away!

G'bye Dave and Maggie . . . once again, you'll be missed.

Oh, how I love cuckoo clocks!

From my dear husband's "joke of the day" collection:
________________________________________________________________

Why females should avoid a girl's night out after they are married...

The other night I was invited out for a night with the 'girls.' I told my husband that I would be home by midnight, 'I promise!' Well, the hours passed and the margaritas went down way too easily. Around 3 a.m., a bit loaded, I headed for home.

Just as I got in the door, the cuckoo clock in the hallway started up and cuckooed 3 times. Quickly, realizing my husband would probably wake up, I cuckooed another 9 times. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a quick-witted solution, in order to escape a possible conflict with him. (Even when totally smashed... 3 cuckoos plus 9 cuckoos totals 12 cuckoos = MIDNIGHT!)

The next morning my husband asked me what time I got in, I told him, "Midnight". He didn't seem upset in the least. Whew, I got away with that one!

Then he said, "We need a new cuckoo clock."

When I asked him why, he said, "Well, last night our clock cuckooed three times, and then swore. Cuckooed 4 more times, cleared its throat, cuckooed another three times, giggled, cuckooed twice more, and then tripped over the coffee table and swore again.
_________________________________________________________

When Larry tried to read this to me, we were laughing so hard we were in tears!
He could barely continue to read, and then proceeded to tell me that it was so funny to him because it reminded him of someone he knows well . . . well, actually, two someones (females) he knows well (one who lives under his roof, and one who used to). He quickly explained that it wasn't the getting drunk part, he was thinking about, but the quick-thinking, creative solution to getting caught.

Now, who could he be referring to? Personally, it reminded me of something my two sisters would do.

Juneuary

Okay, enough is enough! Is it June yet, or, is it still January? The answer is: It's JUNEuary! Are we ever going to have summer weather?

I just read the report on my daughter's blog that it was snowing at her house this morning! This is some crazy "summer" weather we're having this year! Put that together with all the horrific storms, flooding, and earthquakes--all of which are breaking records set long ago, makes me wonder:

Which is going to happen first

Words of Yesterday

I read the following blog post yesterday, June 8th, but I actually wrote it three years ago yesterday.

"Fogginess and Haze"

Yesterday morning, when I first got up and looked out the window, I noticed something unusual. The sky was completely overcast, as though a sheet had been draped down from heaven. There was no obvious pattern of clouds -- the sky was just a solid, opaque color that I couldn't see through. Yet, this phenomenom was only true off in the distance. The area surrounding me was clear as a bell, even up to a few miles away, but the hills way off in the distance (the higher elevations) were completely invisible, as though they didn't even exist!

The sight reminded me that this is how life is -- we only get to see this moment! God doesn't give us a glimpse of tomorrow, or even five minutes from now. So often it seems that what we see today makes absolutely no sense to us, and sometimes we wonder about the "how" and the "why" (of today) and the "when" and the "how" (of tomorrow), but only God knows the answer to our questions. He sees the bigger picture -- He sees clearly through the fogginess and the haze, and in His great wisdom and kindness, He protects us from knowing more than we need to know. What we can see right now is all we get for right now. We can trust Him even in the fog and the haze because He sees right through it! I'm so thankful He is that kind of God!
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Although they are "yesterday's" words, I found them to be so timely for now. This has truly been constant reality for me (and for my husband) for the last two years. The "fog" still hasn't lifted, and the haze is still hanging over our heads, even though yesterday was a beautiful sunny day.

Larry finally got a job (end of April), although it's not what he really wanted. So, even though he is working, he has continued on with his job search. I got a job (back in January), but had so many irreconcilable difficulties, that I finally quit it. "Job Searcher" has been my full-time occupation for the last month and half. I don't enjoy it, but this time I'm not able to quit. Our house is still up for sale, but we haven't had any calls on it yet. Actually, we haven't listed it with a realtor, nor have we advertised it anywhere besides the "For Sale" sign in our front yard. There are information flyers in the box on the sign post, but we've held off on any real marketing of our house until we finish the lower level. That project is almost completed.

So, in case you've been wondering about an update to our situation, there really hasn't been anything new to tell. We still don't know what's next in our lives, and God hasn't chosen to reveal it to us. It's the heaviest fog we've experienced in a very long time.