Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?
The outfit of the day was low boots, short skirts, a white shell and a big bulky knit sweater.

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.
That I eat too much because I am overweight.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 being the highest, how hard do you work?
10 When I work I put 100% into whatever I am doing. (BTW, it really bugs me when people say they put in 110% effort—there is no such thing!)

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?
I have a fox stole inherited from my grandmother….I don’t believe in wearing fur and would like to be rid of it.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I love to curl up with a good book when it is raining.

Random Thoughts Due to Lack of Sleep

Why do we think our dogs would look so cute in human clothes? Why do we cut their fur and then have to put sweaters on them? Just before it got really really cold here, we took Harry and Teddy in to get a trim. What I meant when I told the groomer "just trim them--you know, even out their coats". She heard, "Take them down to 1/4 inch" I guess. Now I know, I say just a bath and trim their face and feet. Harry was shivering for a month and had to be put under a blanket every time he came in from going out to potty. Teddy is young and nothing seems to bother him!

I had a "bed of nails" night last night. That's when I only sleep for, at the most, an hour at a time. Then I lay awake for an hour or more. Last night none of my tried and true methods worked. I read--which is usually a sure-fire method to cause sleepiness. Not this night! I read for 1-1/2 hours. Finally I shut off the light and put on my instrumental hymns CD. First, it was too loud, then it was too soft. I listened to all 15 hymns and it shut off. There were dogs barking all night, it seemed. I finally fell asleep at around 5:30 and was awakened by one of the outside dogs(our neighbor's dogs that sleep at our house) shrieks. There are the mom and 2 six month old girl pups. They are now bigger than their mom and are starting to bug her. I think she bit one of the girls. That got me flying out of bed to see what the injury was. I think it was mostly hurt feelings because I couldn't find any blood. So I got up. Feel like I've been run over by a truck, but I'm up.

Got Joel Osteen's daily word in my email and it was a good one. "Be careful how you live--not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity." (Ephesians 5:15-16) God gives me opportunities all the time that I pass up due to silly fears. When I worked, I never procrastinated. Now that I have time on my hands, I put things off until I end up apologising because they are late. I am realizing that because I have the idea that I have all the time in the world, I am letting many important opportunities slip right through my fingers. I need to get my priorities in order and live the best life God has for me. Take action, don't just dawdle.

I'm NEVER Dieting Again

I'm not tired of being fat, I'm not giving up on losing weight, but I am sooooo DONE with dieting. Forever!

Me and two other ladies at my church decided to support each other in our efforts to lose weight. We decided to do this early last November. We brought in all our diet books--I won--I had the most. We brought in all our exercise tapes--I won--I had the most. I had been in the most diet programs too. Ha Ha - nothing very funny about being a winner in this contest, is there? There I was again, dieting! And not being successful--feeling like a failure.

One of the ladies brought in a book entitled "The Weigh Down Diet--An Inspirational Way To Lose Weight, Stay Slim and Find a New You". It's been around since 1973. I think I heard of it, but thought it was just a gimmicky idea. It may have been the only diet book I had never bought. This book told me I was NOT a failure. It told me that there are NO "Bad" foods. It told me to ask God for help. It told me to pray before I ate--every time--BEFORE I ate. It told me to stop eating diet foods. It told me to eat what I like???? How could THAT work??? It kept me reading, to say the least!

I want to say one thing before I extoll the virtues of the Weigh Down book. Our little support group has grown from the 3 of us to 9 people. I think that using this book as part of a twice a week support group is VERY important. We truly SUPPORT each other. We rely on God to support us. The book is based on biblical principals. If you google the author of this book today, you will see that she has headed off into another direction altogether. Back when she wrote this book in the early 1970's, she was right on. I don't care with she is doing today....the principals in this old book are working. They make sense and God is rewarding each one of us in the group as we draw nearer to Him thru prayer and reliance on Him for His strength, not our puny willpower!

FRIDAYS FEAST #128

This picture has nothing whatsoever to do with the FF, but just reread Rob's Unspace Blogs about his birdies last night and thought that this was a cute picture--it's not one of Rob's birdies, but I thought it was cute anyway!

APPETIZER

If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn? How about relearn? That would be the piano. When I was a kid, I took lessons for 8 years, competed and did quite well. Then turned 13 and my priorities changed--high school and all that it entails. I can still read notes, but can't play a note! Now they have those electric pianos and I would love to play again.

SOUP

Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else?

Embarrassingly, many times. So many times, that until I am absolutely sure of the person's name, I don't use their name when I address them. I practice looking at them and saying their name over and over in my mind until I have it set. Still, sometimes, I can barely catch myself before saying their name incorrectly. Some people (particularly women) get insulted if you call them by the wrong name.

SALAD

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

I am a 10. I have been a confidant to many. I have an ability to tuck secrets away in a corner of my mind behind a locked door. I am the safest person to tell a secret to because I never repeat anything that was ever told to me in confidence. Once, a close friend accused me of telling something that she had wanted kept secret from the people at work. It had gotten out and she was positive that I had told someone. I had not and I was very distressed that she would think that I had let the secret out. She was angry with me and I was very hurt that she thought it was me. As it turned out, a coworker "googled" my friend's name on the internet and read about her then told everyone else at work about her secret. It affected our friendship--it will never be the same.

MAIN COURSE

What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal?

Last summer, I killed a rattlesnake with a shovel. It was in the fenced patio right by the water faucet. Luckily, it rattled just as I was heading for the faucet to turn off the water. I ran back into the house, thought about it and went out the front door, got the shovel and chased it back through the fence. It kept trying to come back into the patio. That's the area where we let out 2 little dogs go to be outside. I didn't want it to come back in and bite one of the dogs. So I had to suck up my fear and make the first strike with the shovel count. My husband was out of town and my neigbors were at work--I had to do it. I cried afterward, because I don't believe in killing even dangerous animals.

DESSERT

When was the last time you lost your patience?

Last Saturday. The next day my husband and I ended up in a big fight about it. I have a difficult time trying to control my temper. It is a thorn in my side. I am just like my father in that way. I don't lose patience with other people--just myself. I let myself get frustrated and then boom! I lose it--I scream, shout, kick inaminate objects, tear things, throw things....etc. It's horrible and I feel horrible for letting it happen. I have made progress with God's help. It's just that I don't always rely on the Lord for help and trying to control it under my own strength is useless. Lord help me remember where my strength comes from!

Struggle is a Daily Thing

Isn't always interesting that when I start to pray about and deal with my worst bad habit, I get confirmation from God that this is exactly what He wants me to do? I consider my control issue to be my worst BAD HABIT. I call it a habit because when I go thru daily life, I use control as my way of coping. If I don't release it every day by addressing it first thing in the morning in prayer and trusting my Heavenly Father to look after me, I pull it back into my life. A few days go by without praying about it and I find that I am using it again.

It's a bad habit, just like chewing ones fingernails or whatever (you fill in the blanks). I have found that when I let one bad habit in, some others slide right back in as well. Next thing I know, my witness is poor again. And wouldn't you know, my unsaved husband is the first one to point it out to me.

When I walk with Jesus as my shepherd and follow His path, my burdens are light and the path is easy. I have serenity. When I walk in the flesh, I am frustrated, upset, anxious and angry. Why is the way of the flesh so hard to give up then? I think on my part, it's pride. I want to be able to say, "I did this.......I accomplished this"....I want to be praised and recognized for those things I do. I know that God is the author of all good things in my life because without Him, my life is ugly and unsatisfying.

I have had such joy since I have made a renewed committment to follow the Lord's leading in all areas of my life. I am thrilled that I can hear the Holy Spirit is letting me know when I even slightly stray from the path. I am now noticing each tiny slip that leads to a slide. I can correct the slip before it becomes serious. I love following Jesus! My life gets better every day. Praise the Lord!

Here it is again

And it’s all about – okay here’s that word once again – CONTROL. The classic Type A personality with people-pleasing thrown in.

I give to others as my way of exerting my control over people and situations, I resent their dependence on my giving and giving because now they expect it and the stress on me to perform is ever-increasing. But can I release that control? Maybe for a little bit of time, but it’s excrutiating to do so. Why can’t I just trust the Lord, be obedient to His Word and rest assured that He will look out for me? Why do I have to manipulate every situation so that I feel some measure of control? A posting I read today has made me think about these issues to the point that I must pray to my Heavenly Father to cause me to desire letting go of control. I need to give up this filthy habit. Every thing that I struggle with in my life rotates around the control issue. I can see that now. Time to pray!

I spent 2 hours looking a non-diet websites, blogs, Yahoo groups, etc. The support group I belong to has decided to follow a non-dieting approach to weight loss and healthy living. The idea is that for 25 years(or how ever long each of us has had an issue with food) dieting just hasn't worked. We are now set to begin eating smaller portions and only when we are hungry. We have to reprogram our way of thinking about food. No BAD foods. Eat when hungry and eat only enough to sate that hunger. That means eating an amount of food about the size of a deck of cards. How can I do this? Only with God's strength. I have no willpower(i.e. control) over food.

Jesus, today give me Your strength to endure to the end of the day. Let me rest and not struggle to retain control. Help me to pray or call someone when I get weak, let me lean on You or a friend for help. I can't do this alone--I never could.

Friday's Feast No. 120

Friday's Feast No. 120

Appetizer
Have you even flown in a helicopter?
Yes I have. In the early 1970’s Peter Revson, heir to the Revlon fortune had an off-road dune buggy that he raced in the desert by Palm Springs. We followed him from above in a helicopter in case he had any trouble.

Soup
What color is your warmest coat or jacket?
It is black, cozy with fake fur and a hood.

Salad
What is your favorite rainy day activity?
Sitting in front of the fireplace reading a good book—wait a minute! I don’t have a fireplace any longer. Oh well, curling up with a good book.

Main Course
Describe your hands.
I guess you would say that I have my grandmother’s hands. They are kind of big for a woman, as I can span one key past an octave on the piano. I have long nails painted a soft pinky-beige color. I only wear my wedding ring as all my other rings were stolen when our house was burglarized last year. They are tan, because since we moved to Arizona, I have a perpetual tan on my exposed skin.

Dessert
If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick?
I was going to say cashews but then I thought about it. I really like cashews and macadamia nuts, but get tired of both of them before I get done with the opened can. I think I’ll say peanuts instead. I like peanuts and peanut butter. I would really miss it if I had to give up peanut butter.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Niagara Falls taken by Chris Sauer

I am a busy person lately. Not that I found a job. I've just been busy with church, working for the pastor, doing the church books(past and present), working on Chris Sauer's business and personal accounts, etc. Today is a very full day and the rest of the days leading up to the day my friend, Chris Sato(woman) arrives and we drive to my aunt's house in San Diego for her annual Christmas party on the 9th.

I have a new bare wood dining room set to stain and varathane. One table with leaf and six chairs with 8 rungs on the back each. I'm still not sure about the color, but have to get it done, so I'll have to pick a color and live with it. We got bare wood because I couldn't find a set I liked that was reasonably priced. I love this set and it's made of parawood. That is a fast-growing relative of the rubber tree and is highly renewable. It's as hard as oak when it has been dried. It takes stain about the same way too. I was very impressed with it. If I ever get hardwood floors they will be bamboo. Now they are making countertops and cabinets from bamboo also. If you have ever had bamboo in your yard, you know what a renewable plant it is......takes over!

Gotta go, meeting with the pastor tonight for secretary duties.