That was my weight this morning. I guess stress is almost as effective as Fenphedra
when it comes to weight loss. I’m not real thrilled with the cause, but as long as I have been wanting to lose the weight, I’ll take it. I mean, I have been dieting since January, but suddenly, I am just..not very hungry, and the weight is just …going. Odd. Maybe that whole “computers put your brain and metabolism to sleep” stuff is true, LOL!

While I am here, and by here I happen to mean the library, let me tell you what else is going on with my goals and aspirations. Doesn’t that sound so …. BIG? Haha! Anyway, I’m still reading, and this time it’s the third Harry Potter. I’m churning through a custom knitting order, and I’m singing. That’s right! In fact, I have a practice tonight that will probably lead to singing in church Sunday.

And speaking of church, I sure had a blessing yesterday. Someone said something to me Sunday when I was buzzing around doing 47 different things to get ready for 62 more, and I missed that thing. Mama happened to hear it and she repeated it to me yesterday. I’m a blessing, apparently. Does it seem odd to you that being called a blessing would be a blessing to me? Well, it is. As you know, I am in a very discouraging time right now. Even in the midst of that, though, I am attempting to keep on doing what I know needs to be done. And you know how sometimes it seems like no one notices what you do? Well now I know someone notices.

And speaking of library, let me apologize for the way my blog looks in whatever version of Internet Explorer I am using here. Blech! I’ll look into it when I have my system back. Also, please forgive any typos. My FireFox catches those, but IE does not.

Ok, I think I have rambled long enough here, don’t you?

One of the great benefits of not having internet at home has been an incredible amount of reclaimed free time. If you ever wonder how much time you truly spend doing something, do without it for awhile. Your eyes may be opened in amazing ways, just like mine have been. The crazy thing is that I am still able to get the necessary stuff done by focusing when I do have internet access. Such as this very minute. When I want to tell you about One Fifth Avenue.

You know how usually (and interestingly enough, I just remembered there is a short conversation about this in the book) you can say a novel was about something when you finish reading it? Well, with this book, I am unable to say that. And this is a good thing! I don’t mean it in a bad way at all! Candace Bushnell has written a book about life, populated with characters that are so well written and human that they seem almost real. The plot is realistic, the motivations ring true, and there is an exact amount of randomness in it that adroitly portrays life as it really happens to most of us. This author knows people, what makes them tick, and it is her ability to deliver a story that adequately portrays the emotions that beset us all that makes her story shine.

This is not a thin book, but it is not difficult to read, either, and I suspect that once you get started, you could read it over the course of a week, even if you only get to read in the evenings. Of course, I am not guaranteeing that you won’t stay up way past your bedtime turning pages, but I’m willing to tell you that it’s a risk worth taking.

I recently received a copy of the new NKJV Chronological Study Bible put out by Thomas Nelson publishers. I have an old Reese Chronological Bible which is…well…it’s the Bible, chopped up in little bits and pieces, and there aren’t very many notes, and so it didn’t really help me understand the historical significance of the various Biblical events. Nor did it do anything to help me tie in extra-Biblical events with what was going on in the church. I expected a Bible where Job was put in front of Genesis, and the gospels were chopped up like mincemeat for a holiday pie. I was so very surprised! It’s different than I expected, and I mean that in a good way.

The Chronological Study Bible is different. There are images of historical figures (like Josephus, who bears no resemblance at all to Bocephus whom my mind has always strayed to when I read the name) and there are notes on the culture of the times–what exactly was happening in Corinth when Corinthians was written? And there are “time capsules” on some of the pages that give a snapshot of what was going on historically. For example, the one on page 1374 covers A.D.64, and Nero’s rule and the great fire in Rome. Putting this information in the context of 1 Timothy helps paint a complete picture, and the explanation of widows on that same page brings home the point that Ecclesiastes has made for millennium. There truly is nothing new under the sun: today’s problems plagued the ancients, too.

I look forward to studying out of this Bible for years to come. And much to my own surprise, I’ve started with Revelation. Which I now know was written during the time of Domitian, who was killed by his close associates and succeeded by Trajan.

Is it still considered mo-blogging if I am doing it from Mama’s house? I think it should, really. Cause her set-up totally makes my back hurt.

Here’s what’s going on with me:

1) I am looking for work. Wal-Mart, Walgreens, that sort of thing. I haven’t tried fast food yet, but if I don’t get something by the middle of next week, that will be the next step. I don’t want to do that, because I am not as fast as I used to be, thought I can still put most teens to shame, AND because those jobs are typically very part time. The one job I am very hopeful about is as a cosmetics clerk. that would be a fun job, I think. I want to stay local, and by local, I mean 5-10 miles. The jobs in Atlanta would pay more, but the commute would really suck, yk?

2) I’m sending my laptop out for what I hope will be repair. If the display was working, I could do my internet work at any number of local places, and then I ….well, I don’t need to explain how that would be better, you aren’t stupid.

3) I’m still beading for our mid-December show, and it’s time to go ahead and do that now, I suppose. Right after I call Wal-Mart one more time

When you are waiting for something, good or bad, why is it that time just slows to a crawl? I mean, I recognize this is, like, the eternal question, right after “where did I come from”? But I always thought it applied to good stuff, and now I am finding that I was wrong. It doesn’t matter what you are waiting on, and it doesn’t matter if you are wearing one of the fancy Festina watches, or a $6 one from Wal-Mart, you will be checking it, and it will seem to stop.

So why is that? Is it because wen we are waiting, we are so focused on how much time is left? Like this morning, my question is do I have enough, and then when Grandmother was dying, it was “Can I please have more?” combined with ‘Dear Lord, this needs to be over, for her sake.”

You know, I woke up Sunday morning about 3am, with tears on my face. I was dreaming about her death, and in my dream, I was just crying out “no, no, no”. I was on my knees on the floor, but I wasn’t praying. I just couldn’t stand up. Not letting myself grieve like I needed to when she died was probably one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made.

They say that we dream so that our subconscious can deal with things that our waking minds cannot deal with. I hope this is true. And don’t take this personally (you know who you are), but please don’t ever encourage someone to keep up a good front when faced with a cataclysmic event. And don’t assume that it isn’t an issue for them just because it isn’t for you. I wonder if I had cried then, would I still be crying now?

And Dear God help me when my mind decides to tackle Papa and Grandma.

I want to shop on Black Friday. Just once! I seriously never have. And this year, I won’t be able to either, because I have to go to Cheerleading Competition instead. Booooooo! I know you can find good deals on Cyber Monday as well, but… you know, it’s hard to get run over by crazed toy shoppers, and folks wanting $200 computers if I am sitting here at my desk shopping by mouse.

BTW, it’s looking like vacation time for me. It’s not a vacation that I want to take, but I’m pretty much out of options. I’ll be back as soon as I can, and until then……..go read a few magazines. Maybe by the time I get back, I will have whittled my pile away to nothing.

Lately, *cough*, I’ve been dealing with some joint pain. The cough was so you don’t ask me exactly what I mean by lately, LOL, but it’s years. My fingers hurt, and my toes, and I can adapt, I guess, even as the 12 year old inside me stomps her foot, shakes her ponytail and says, “no way!”, but what’s really been dragging me down is shoulder pain.

Now, I typically sleep on my stomach, which means my shoulders are up over my head, and the joints are stressed. I’ve had to alter that, of course, because, really, who can sleep with the little gnome with a pickax in the ball joint of their shoulder? Not me! But, man, that is the best sleep. Sleeping like that, for me, it’s like those few minutes after the alarm goes off, all night long. That good.

So, I’m after suggestions. Mama swears by Osteo-Flex at $40 a bottle *gulp*. Daddy has been wearing one of those magnetic bracelets for years and since he keeps wearing it, it must work for him. But I want to know what some of you do. And you can all quit looking at me askance. Not all of you are young and fresh anymore. We can be honest with one another. Just go ahead and fess up– how do you keep your groove on, when it hurts to move?

I took about 5,327 pictures before I got one that didn’t make me look mental or like a goon. What can I say? Somedays the camera is my friend, some days, not so much. I had a horrible time getting a glare free shot today, so I finally took my eyeglasses off. Can someone please explain the principles of light theory that dictate whether not not there will be glare off my lenses? I totally hate that, which I believe I mentioned not too long ago.

Today, I’ve got church, and afternoon of catch up and then a meeting this evening. What’s on your agenda?