Sharing an Indiana Sunset

Hi! I know it's shocking for me to post twice in one week, but sometimes I enjoy shocking people:) Just don't get too used to it! This will be short...at least I think it will be. One never knows for sure...

I went shopping in Bloomington this afternoon for dog food and music books. Quite a combo huh? I had to visit 3 different music stores to get all the books I needed for band and piano...whew! But everyone was very nice, and I ended up getting one book free for the school. They had forgotten to put 4 books on my invoice, so I called them and went back. They had redone the receipt, but only added 3 more books. When I called it to their attention, they said it was their mistake and wouldn't let me pay for it! So a small price break for SCCA...plus I got them set up for tax exempt status at that particular store. That will be a big help, as it's my favorite place to go for brass and wind instrument needs.

After a good dinner at the Outback Steak house with my parents, I did a couple more errands, and returned home to a beautiful sunset.



To be very honest, seeing a sunset like this one makes me feel wistful. It makes me wish "Mr. Right" were around to enjoy it with. But alas, no one was around to enjoy it with me, save my parents and Snickers.



So there wasn't anyone around to hold my hand, give me a hug, or whisper "sweet-nothings" in my ear, but I did get a li'l puppy-kiss on the chin from the world's sweetest little Yorkie! So that was of some comfort :) It's tempting to fall into the doldrums, but Snickers tries to cheer me up when he senses I am sad. And he does a pretty good job of it too!

So that's that. Nothing profound tonight. Just wanted to share a southern Indiana sunset with ya. Hope you enjoyed it!

First Day of School

Ok..technically the first day of school was last Monday, Aug. 18th. However, I'm just now getting around to posting about it:) Typical, I know. But I was kinda proud that it's only been a little over a week! Janae and Cameron started kindergarten, and they are loving it so far! Jared started 2nd grade and seems to be adjusting. He wasn't as excited as the other two. On the first day he said "It was boring. They just told us a bunch of rules." Ok. I agree with him, first days aren't always the best. But he seems fine now. Here are a couple of pics for your viewing pleasure:)




Are those not the cutest kids you ever saw? Well, I think they are:) In the top picture, Patrick decided to get in on the action, even though it will be 3 more years before he joins them. Since school dismissed early the first day, we took the kids to lunch at Asian Pearl. Yum!!

Anyway, school is definitely underway. I didn't have any music classes the first week, but I did listen to 39 choir auditions. That took what seemed to be an eternity, and I was ready to bite on something to steady my nerves by the time it was over :) I also spent some time putting things away, and shopping for a few last minute things. Below are a couple pics of the decor in my band room.





I don't normally consider myself a very creative person, so I was thankful for the Lord's help with decorating. I also had to decorate my general music room, but don't have any pictures of that. On the shelves, you may see some instruments. I had an old violin, flute, and clarinet that don't work and cost too much to repair. So I added them as decor, and some lovely little percussion toys. A little greenery and flowers, and we were good to go. I am excited about the new white board! Yeah!

Well, this week I have listened to band auditions, and started general music classes K-4th grade. The upper grades will start next week, and that will include 5th and 6th grade music, Jr. High/Sr. High Choir, Chime Choir, Beginning Band(may the Lord have mercy on my soul,) and Intermediate Band. The rest of my week will involve getting my piano students started, and preparing for band and choir. I will also have to make a trip to Bloomington to buy some essentials, such as timpani mallets and books for band. Our school just purchased a used set of timpani, and they seem to be in great shape! So that's exciting. I just need to get brushed up on how to use them :) I have never tried to start a beginning band before, so I would appreciate prayer. If my hair is totally gray by the end of the school year, you will understand why. Those of you who have listened to any beginning band will already understand :) Bless their hearts...we all have to start somewhere. I just hope my nerves can take it!

Well, that's about it on school for now. Just wanted to post once more about something I read in my devotions. I am plowing my way through a wonderful book by Beth Moore, "90 Days with Jesus the One and Only." The reason I say "plowing" is because it's taking me a lot longer than 90 days. But I'm also reading a companion book, and I don't get it read every day like I should. But it's a great book, and I highly recommend it! If you read my last post, you know that I struggle with an inferiority complex, etc. I think that I have so little to offer God, just a fragmented life. It puzzles me why He would even want to use me. But I read this in Beth's book. She was telling the story of the feeding of the 5,000. One of her points was as follows: " Christ can perform astounding wonders when we bring Him all we have. Matthew 14:17 records the disciples saying 'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.' Christ responded, 'Bring them here to me.' Beloved, I want you to hear something loud and clear:no matter what your "only" is, when you bring all of your "only" to Jesus, it's huge! When we bring Him everything we have, He multiplies it beyond our wildest imagination. On the other hand, we can surrender Him "some" of our lot, and it can dwindle to virtually nothing." I don't know about you, but that hits me right where I live. So many times I have offered some of what I have, desperately clinging to 1-2 pieces. I guess I think "He couldn't possibly want or use that part of me." But I know that He wants everything, and that when we give it to Him, He makes all the difference. That means giving Him not just talents, but also hopes and dreams. That's the hard part. I don't struggle to give Him my talents. I really don't. I figure that He gave them to me, so He should have them. But in reality, He also gave me my hopes and dreams. And He wants those, just as much as He wants my talents. While it can be scary to give those things to God, I also know that He is able to do so much more that I can even ask or imagine. God is not in Heaven just "waiting to lower the boom" on me...but sometimes that has been my attitude. I have been afraid that He won't fulfill my dreams, that my hopes will be dashed to pieces. But God isn't like that. If He witholds something from me, it is because He sees that it would not be in my best interest, or would not give Him the most glory. But He isn't just wanting to see how miserable He can make me. His plans for me are exciting, not something to be dreaded. So I'm choosing to trust Him with everything. How about you?

Well, I need to go for now. I'm celebrating with Steve tonight. My cousin is having a birthday on Thursday, so we're going out to eat to celebrate. I wish you much joy and peace!

Unusual meanderings

Well, it's been a few days since I posted, so thought I'd better get with it, lest I inadvertently make someone unhappy :) Not that I would mention names of course! Sometimes it just seems like I don't have alot to say...don't laugh! I know I can hold up my end of most conversations. That is besides the point. I just don't know how exciting my life is to read about, and I don't want to bore anyone. On the other hand, if you're bored, don't bother visiting my blogspot :p

It's not often that I post something profound, but I wanted to share a little of what I read in my devotional book yesterday morning. I am reading "This Day with the Master" by Dennis F. Kinlaw...an excellent read, I might add. Here is an excerpt of the reading for August 12th, entitled "Fear is Never the Last Word." "The words of Psalm 34 do not mean that whoever comes to Christ and lives for Him will have no fear, no trouble, and no need. Instead, the psalmist says that the person who trusts in God will find that fear is never the last word. Trouble is never the final answer. Need is never the ultimate reality. When the story is over, the fear will be conquered; God will have delivered. The trouble will be mastered, and God will have freed the believer. The needs in life will have been met, and God will have provided for every need. There would have been no impetus to write this song if the psalmist had never had any fear, any trouble, or any need. It is when you have been scared to death and God has brought you out of the trouble, that you can sing God's praise. When you are in a tight place and call out to Yahweh, who is your only hope, you are in a situation ripe for a miracle. When you have no way to pay your bills and God provides, then you walk away while singing His praises. The trouble itself turns our minds to Christ and gives Him the opportunity to show himself good and powerful in our lives."

Now, I don't know about you, but this spoke to me. To be honest, I have gone through some very anxious times this summer. Lots of uncertainty about the future, feelings of inadequacy about the coming school year, etc. I have always heard that it's darkest just before the dawn. I truly hope so. Sometimes I feel that I have so little to offer, and that if God doesn't intervene, I'm going to fall flat on my face. I've heard and read a lot about believing God this summer, both in messages and in books. It's not that I've struggled to believe God CAN do things, I have struggled to believe that He wants to do good things for ME. Maybe you don't struggle with an inferiority complex, but I do. For many years now, I have had feelings that "I'm not good enough. If I could just do________, or be ______, then maybe I would be good enough." It's hard for me to understand why God would love me. What I've come to discover is that His love is beyond my comprehension. He loves me because I am His creation, because I am His child. Maybe some of these insecurities stem from being single, I don't know. Those of you ladies who are married, you have had a man choose to love you, and to (hopefully) be willing to lay down his life for you if need be. I haven't had that experience, and sometimes it's like I told a cousin several years ago..." I feel like the one nobody wanted." Now, I know that sounds pitiful...but sometimes that does surface regardless of how pitiful it may sound. Those who love me most(my family,) didn't have much choice in the matter. They love me partly because I'm family. Don't get me wrong: I'm eternally grateful for a loving family! They are awesome. And I realize that you, my friends, love me too. But there's still something inside that says "Why? What do you see in me that would cause you to love me?" As I write this, I realize that I'm probably opening myself up for pot-shots...please be kind! And I'm really not searching for compliments and reassurances about why you love me. I'm just trying to be honest, okay? If I'm making you mad, call me or e-mail:) And I'm really not having a pity-party...just trying to explain some of the things I've especially struggled with this summer.

Anyway...wow, that was quite a paragraph. Got a little carried away as usual. As I was saying, this little devotional helped me yesterday. I am trying with everything in me to believe that God really does care about the minute details of MY life, and that He is working all things together for my good and His glory. I feel like I'm in a situation that is ripe for a miracle. I know that trust is a decision, just like love is. I have to consciously choose to trust God, no matter what the circumstances look like around me. Another statement I read recently was "Never doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light." It's easy for me to just ride my emotions, and yeah, I'm an emotional person. I'm a musician, okay? But I have to learn to take emotions out of the equation, and simply trust God because He IS. When I'm sad or moody, He has not changed. When I can't see the next step to take, He is holding out His hand, asking me to trust Him to guide me through the darkness. So I choose to trust Him with all the little details of my life, and that's the long and the short of it. If you are looking for someone to pray for, you can add me to your list:) I appreciate any prayers I can get.

Moving on from the profound, here's a little of what I've been up to the past few days. I have worked a couple extra shifts in cardiac rehab...was glad to pick up the hours as money has been a bit tight since the whole Nellie saga. I am extremely glad that tomorrow is payday! Yay!!!! Today, I went shopping in Bloomington with a credit card. Now that probably doesn't seem like a big deal to you, but it is to me. All of you fellow Dave Ramsey-ites, please don't hit me. I normally use a debit card or cash, but my cash is limited right now, and I have $20 something in my checking account until tomorrow. I would have waited to shop, but I need to decorate my music classroom tomorrow afternoon, to have it ready for the parent's tour on Friday. So I whipped out the handy-dandy credit card...no Dave Ramsey, I didn't cut them up. But I may just do that one of these days. I really only use them if I know I will have the money to pay them off each month. And the school will reimburse some of my expenses...so it should be okay. So tomorrow I have staff orientation in the morning, then will spend the afternoon getting ready for the kiddos.

Also, we celebrated my Mom's birthday yesterday. She wanted money this year, instead of gifts, so I had to tell her that she would have to wait until payday :) Fortunately, she was very understanding. We fixed a scrumptious dinner of roast chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, carrots that had been sweetened, cottage cheese, and home-made pickles. We finished up with cake and ice cream. The diet was shot yesterday, believe me. Thank God for Curves, and a fitness plan! I will be getting on the treadmill yet this evening, trust me. Today, I got a sandwich at Heavenly Ham, and I thought I was being pretty healthy. I looked up the nutritional information on their Turkey Salad when I got home, and was absolutely horrified! Where did they hide all those ridiculous calories anyway? It was just a sandwich! Delicious yes, but I won't be getting it anytime soon. So the treadmill is not an option for me today. I will be at Curves tomorrow. Trying to get some exercise every day except Sunday, instead of just Curves 3 times weekly. Below I am posting some pics from my Mom's birthday celebration. Oh, and I canned 7 more quarts of pickles yesterday, and believe me that's a job! An all-day job!








Mom had a very nice birthday, said it couldn't have been better. My brother and his family came over to help her celebrate. Diane couldn't get here because of work conflicts. We also met some of the family in Mitchell for lunch, so that was nice.

Well, it's getting to be close to supper time, so if I'm gonna get on that treadmill, I've got to get cracking! Again...those of you who are my friends, thank you so much for choosing to love me, to include me in your life! You will never know how grateful I am for each of you.

Okay..adios, lots of love, etc.....

Pennsylvania Vacation

Okay, folks. The AC is back on...hallelujah! So here I sit at the keyboard, ready to give you some vacation details. Oh and btw, it was a transformer that was blown on the AC, not the mother board. So after 3 days of being hot and sticky, I now have cool air:)And the transformer wasn't nearly as expensive as a mother board would have been. So that's a very good thing!

Hope I don't bore you with details, but here goes. On July 21st, I flew to Harrisburg, PA, via United Airlines. This was my second trip to fly by myself, so I felt that I was getting to be an old pro at it. My layover was in Chicago, an airport in which I've had some VERY unpleasant experiences. But this time everything went smoothly...I didn't even have to change terminals. And of course, Indianapolis was a breeze. My flight got in a bit early to Harrisburg, thereby surprising the friends who were to pick me up. But I waited patiently at the baggage claim until Mark and Elizabeth arrived. Fred, Elizabeth's husband, was unable to come get me, due to having to get up at 2am! And my flight wasn't scheduled until 9:48pm. So Mark was kind enough to come with Elizabeth so she wouldn't have to come alone to the Airport. It was so nice to see them! I hadn't seen Mark since April, and hadn't seen Fred and Elizabeth since December. After dropping Mark off at his car, Elizabeth and I had a little late-night snack at Taco Bell, then drove to her house. We then proceeded to talk for a good bit, and went to bed just before Fred got up for work.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we didn't do much. We caught up on each other's lives, and a good deal of sleep. We also did some weeding in Elizabeth's garden, and got quite a bit done. So that was nice, and I really didn't mind working in the garden.

On Thursday, we went to Penns Creek, PA, where Fred was involved in a ministerial meeting. Elizabeth and I sat in on the morning service, ate lunch with Fred, then drove to Selinsgrove to the mall. Elizabeth and I go way back in the shopping department:) We started shopping together when we were both students at GBS, and the trend has just continued since then. Pretty much any time we're together, we find a mall somewhere. So I found a couple of good bargains at Bonton, and then we drove back to Penns Creek, ate supper with Fred, and sat in on the final business session. We then drove to Mark's parent's home, and visited with them until late. It was very enjoyable sitting on their front porch, just soaking in the peace of the beautiful countryside, and visiting with friends. I also got to taste some wonderful pickles that Mark's dad had made, and was inspired to make some of my own on my return to Indiana. Mark showed us a multitude of pictures he had taken, and that was very nice. Below is a picture of the sunset we enjoyed from their front porch. Beautiful!




On Friday, Mark rented a car, and picked me up to drive to Lancaster. Fred and Elizabeth had gone to her ultrasound appointment in Chambersburg, but then called and weren't far behind us on the road. So we pulled over and did some shopping on the way, and they met us for the drive to Lancaster area. We stopped at the Green Dragon, which is a gigantic flea market that is open on Fridays. It was very neat. If I had more time and money, I could have spent alot there. There was so much to see. It reminded me of the Covered Bridge Festival that they hold in Northwest Indiana every fall. We also stopped at a wonderful candy store, and purchased a small snack to fortify us for our drive:) Yum!!! I can't remember the name of the store right now, but it is definitely worth stopping at. It was quite warm that day, and we were very hungry. We arrived at Shady Maple Buffet at 3:15, definitely ready to eat. If you have never eaten there, you need to start planning your trip. And yes, I agree, you should be hungry when you go. But I will not be skipping breakfast, and then waiting all day to eat. Those of you who know me well, know that is NOT a good idea.lol.... Well, the food was delicious, and worth the wait. We also spent a good bit of time in the massive gift shop downstairs, but I again refrained from buying anything. We stopped at an outlet mall in Lancaster on the way home, and I did get a book there. But that's it...promise. A very fun and full day.

On Saturday, we met Mark at his apartment, and then drove to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Wow...what a beautiful place! It is such a neat place to visit. They had a James Madison impersonator there that day, and we got to hear him speak. They were also having special Civil War activities in the town, had some re-enactors there. So that was cool. Again, a very warm day, so we stopped mid-day for root beer floats. We were feeling a little wilted prior to that, but that seemed to revive us. I will post some pics of Harper's Ferry below. We got to tour several very old buildings, including Saint Peter's Catholic Church. After we were done at Harper's Ferry, we drove to Hagerstown, Maryland, and enjoyed a dinner of pizza buffet. We then drove on to Gettysburg, and went to Christ Church, where they were having a candlelight service. It included remembrances of a Civil War nurse, a wounded soldier, poems by Walt Whitman, and lots of Civil War music. It was great. Mark thought I might enjoy it, since I am a nurse. And he was very right! The church was used as a hospital during the battle of Gettysburg. I would like to go there again sometime. The people even served refreshments outside afterwards, cookies and rhubarb punch. It was very good. We then stopped at Friendly's for ice cream, and headed to wal-mart, then home.








So there you have just a few of the pictures from Harper's Ferry. The famous arsenal where John Brown was captured is the second picture down. And I think you can figure out which is the James Madison impersonator:)

On Sunday, I had the privilege of attending Fred and Elizabeth's church, and Mark came to join us. I didn't slack just because I was visiting. I played the organ, and sang a trio with Fred and Elizabeth. But I didn't mind..it was fun. After the service, we all ate dinner together...a very good dinner too, I might add. I was going to fix my famous "Canasta Cake," but we were out so late every night, that I just didn't have time. It takes a good 2 hours if you're not doing anything else. So we had strawberry shortcake instead, and it was very good. That evening, we went to Newville Bible Methodist, which was cooperating in a VBS with Fred's church. That was fun. I hadn't been to a VBS in forever! Afterwards, we visited and ate supper at Fred and Elizabeth's. Below you will find some pictures of the "Fearsome Four." Well, anyway, maybe we're not fearsome, but we did do alot together and had a blast doing it:) These folks have been gracious enough to consent to me using the pics on my blog. Thanks, guys!




It was hard to say goodbye, but on Monday, I flew back to Indianapolis. Sometimes I hate it that I live so far from most of my friends. My closest friends live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Colorado, etc. I do have some friends in Indiana, but now that Kristin and Mark B. have moved, I don't have anyone to pal around with that's not a relative. Not that there's anything wrong with my relatives:) I love them dearly, but sometimes it's nice to hang with folks that aren't related to ya. You know what I mean. Well, I had a long delay in Harrisburg, but that was okay. My flight out of Dulles, in Washington DC was quite a bit later. So I didn't miss a flight, and again everything went very smoothly. We got into some turbulence, actually came through some storm clouds on the way back into Indy, but overall, everything was very enjoyable. It was nice to see my family back in Indy, and we had a delicious dinner on the way home at Gray Brother's. And of course, Snickers was ecstatic when he saw me :)

So there you have it. Vacation is over, and I'm a little down about that. I'm a person that needs something to look forward to, some break in routine. I also thrive on being with my friends, and knowing that I probably won't see them for awhile is depressing. But God is helping me, and I am very grateful for the wonderful vacation I had. And school is starting again soon. So I will be ultra-busy once again. I am hoping to return to PA in December, to meet Fred and Elizabeth's new baby, which is due Dec. 8th. I will get to be "Auntie" again, and that's always happy! December just seems so far away right now. But I will get over my slump, and I WILL get excited about school starting. At least I think I will:) I will try! If you think about it, just say an extra prayer for me, okay? I would appreciate it very much.

Well, I hope I haven't bored you completely. Just wanted to blog about vacation while I still had the time. This evening, I did a little shopping, and talked to friends on the phone, and blogged. Tomorrow, I have piano lessons, and a meeting with the principle, not to mention prayer meeting. Thursday, I have a seminar to go to about cardiac and pulmonary rehab(fun, fun!) And Friday, I work as usual. However, we're planning a cousin's night for friday night, games, pizza, etc. So I do have something to look forward to for this weekend.

Well, my hand is going numb. Snickers is asleep in my lap with his head on my hand. This has made typing challenging. So I'm calling it a night. Love to all my friends!

Blogging excuse....a good one, too.

I was planning to post a vacation blog this evening, but things have run amuck. While doing the weedeating today, Dad accidently cut into the AC wires. He then tried to tape them up, apparently frying something in the process. My cousin, Michael, who has some background in AC, thinks the mother board may be shot. Yip yip yahoo. Anyway, it's very hot upstairs....so the vacation blog will have to wait a little longer. We have 4 fans, fortunately, and will be having a pajama party downstairs this evening :) It's WAY too hot to sleep upstairs. Those of you who know about my propensity to be cold all the time, will rejoice that for once, I'm NOT COLD!!!!! So there you have it. Another excuse, another delay.

'night.....