51 Things About Me

Uh, the title says 51... Let's see if I can do that.

1) I live in a blue cape cod.
2) I was never popular.
3) My legs are quite short.
4) My feet dislike shoes. But they do like flip-flops.
5) I have green bath towels. And some white and grey ones.
6) I would like a big dog someday... I'd name him George.
7) Louis is my black cat.
8) I have a green mountain bike that I haven't ridden in over a year.
9) I'm a dreamer, but I married a realist. He keeps my head out of the clouds. That's good.
10) I'll never be as tall as Aunt Priscilla. I'm only 5' 3 and 3/4".
11) I like walking in the woods. (A-fruva)
12) Muffins are my weakness.
13) I don't like the song "I'm a Red-Neck Woman".
14) I miss my teaching job.
15) Someday I would like a few (or so) kids.
16) Gardening is good "clean" fun.
17) Traveling overseas sounds quite fascinating.
18) I never met anyone famous.
19) When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up and be a princess.
20) I can swim.
21) I've had five different jobs.
22) I worked at Dunkin Donuts one day.
23) My brothers used to come to me for haircuts. Than Auntie Kathy spoiled them.
24) I've never swam in the ocean. That's one of my goals in life. To swim in it.
25) I went to the Corning Museum of Glass with my husband this past summer.
26) I like fall, but it's too close to winter.
27) I've been to Texas twice and pretty soon I'll have been to New Mexico twice too.
28) I was the last one in my 1st grade class to learn how to ride a two-wheeler.
29) We used to catch crayfish for fun.
30) I kissed a frog, but he didn't turn into a prince.
31) Family is some of my closest friends.
32) Sometimes I get really lonely...
33) When we have our own house, I would spend more time outside.
34) I know lots of people... but that's cause I'm a waitress.
35) People expect me to have a smile on my face... I tell them it's the joy of the Lord.
36) I slept in a castle.
37) I used to have my very own rabbit and the boys used to say we were going to eat him.
38) I never liked yard clean up day as a kid.
39) Once I almost drowned in Aunt Charlene's pool, but Jimmy saved me. He's my hero.
40) Geography was my favorite subject in ninth grade.
41) I always wanted to learn a foreign language.
42) I was in two plays... only minor parts, but none-the-less, speaking parts.
43) I used to sing more than I do now.
44) I've been to Bible camp and one year I helped in the kitchen.
45) I don't care for television.
46) Baking was always one of my favorites, but I don't do a whole lot of it.
47) I've been downhill skiing once. It was such a blast!
48) I once rode on a real train... but it was only a joy ride.
49) I always wanted a sister, but now I'm all growed up and moved out.
50) I had wanted to marry a farmer so I could live on a farm.
51) I love Adam.
52) I've been washed in the blood of Jesus.

There. 52 things about me. And I said 51. I could keep going all night!

Barn Sales and Birthday Fiestas

And so we push on with the barn sale. Approval has been met, although it wasn't by any of you. I've been trying to help Mom organize everything, but I only have Wednesday, Friday and Saturday to help. I do have my own things to do too, so progress has been slow although I think we will be ready by next weekend. If you haven't anyhthing to do, you should come check it out... or at least help out. Lots of good stuff! Dressers, coffee tables, chairs, kitchen gadgets, dishes, tools, tactor parts and pieces, clothes (probably), hardware... you never know what you might find! Mom, don't forget to put an ad in the pennysaver. I'm going over again tomorrow to continue setting up. Does anyone have anything they want to sell? The more the merrier they always say.

Sorry to be so boring... No one wants to hear about barn sales. Although they are fun. At least I think so.

Well, we are going to N.M. in October. Aunt Kathy is getting married, so we're going for that. She wants me to play piano in her wedding. This scares me because for the past year I've been really lax on playing the piano. First of all, my upstairs neighbor complained the first time I ever played the piano after I got married. That really put a damper on things and then I don't think anyone here enjoys my playing. Except maybe Louis. So I must practice... Like oil on my rusty fingers. And I'll have to pray. I'm also spending my birthday in New Mexico. You all shall miss it. I'll be 21. Really old. Maybe we can celebrate with a fiesta...

Auntie Kim is in the hospital with complications from a surgery. She lives in Albuquerque. We have been praying for her and I hope she will be much better when we are in town.

It's raining today. Yuck. I was hoping for sunshine.

Speaking of the Barn

Today I helped clean out my parents barn. We have lots of stuff in there. It's a big job to clean the barn and it's not done yet. Auntie Kathy left her stuff in there... Maybe someday it will be gone. Maybe we'll have a barn sale... What do you think?

Orchard Walks

Lately we've been going for orchard walks when I go to my parents house. The apples are ready for picking and the migrants are picking every day. It's always so beautiful to walk through the orchard. Very peaceful and serene. And it's good excersice. This photo is from the other day when I took a walk with my Mom. Today would be a good day for a walk too, but I'm at my house. My land lord does have a few apple trees, though I'm not sure it would be the same. Especially since no one is home to walk with. Maybe later?
A side note for Mom... CM is not getting married. They aren't engaged. I called to congratulate and was informed otherwise. But probably eventually.

"Cumming" to my Past

Last Saturday was a good day for hiking. Initially Adam had wanted to go to Letchworth Park, but after we got on the road we decided to go to Cummings Nature Center in Naples, NY. We had invited Jim along to keep us company and he liked the idea of going to Cummings. (He goes many places with us... he's like our best friend!) I hadn't been to Cummings Nature Center since I was very, very small. I think Joe or Nate was still a baby. Anyway it was in the deepest portion of my memories... I was never sure where we had gone in that memory but I had always wanted to go back. It was like walking into the past when we got there... like living a dream. We didn't go down the same trail that we did when I was younger, but the building was the same and... oh, it was pretty neat anyway. So the three of us walked the trails. We saw the beaver pond, which was quite pretty. So many lily pads! But no beavers. We did see a few chipmunks though (not in the pond of course) and lots of bugs. They didn't really bother us much. There was also many mushrooms of all kinds. It was very moist in the woods. Jim and I took many pictures. Maybe I'll post more in the future. After our nature hike, we took a drive into the village of Naples and bought a grape pie. I had never had grape pie before and was quite impressed with the taste. SOOO good! Adam also bought some concord grapes from a road side stand. He really liked those, but they weren't my favorite. I found them to be sweet at first yet sour in the middle. And the seeds were just too much! They were encased in the center and very hard for me to seperate and spit out. Adam still had them gone in no time.
We drove on home to eat our pie and then we headed back out (Jim was still with us) for dinner. We had a coupon for The India House (which was expired unbeknownst to us at the time) so we went there. I had never had Indian food before, so it was quite the treat. Adam and I ordered a platter to share and a bowl of muligatwny soup, while Jim ordered a lamb and spinach dish. (Uh-oh... spinach!) I really enjoyed our food and the basmati rice that came with it was real good. Jim's food ended up looking like this strange goup. It was brown and thick looking. He said he liked it, but it didn't look too good. I tasted it though, and it was actually okay. Better mixed with rice, but good. So that was fun and different. It's always fun to go elsewhere and try new things.
It was a good Saturday with Jim and my hubby.

Grow Your Own Spinach

Has anyone heard about the e-coli outbreak related to spinach? I just found out about it today. No wonder people were commenting to me about having spinach in our salads. We don't, by the way. I guess one person already died from it, and over 100 through the nation are sick. I hope you grow your own spinach.

Continue Following the Savior

A few noted verses from Hebrews 10...

Verses 26-27: "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of jugdgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries."

And Verses 38-39: "'Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul."

All the more reason to remain faithful to Jesus and continue hard after Him!

Dinner and a Movie

I miss my friends. They're all in college.


But on a happy note, I made a crock pot dinner this morning. We ate it for dinner (naturally). It was not as good as I hoped it would be... And the apple pie I made was like apple sauce pie. I'm not sure why... I used 20 oz. apples. Ack! What has become of my culinary skills!!!
But he still ate it.

Hebrews 8:11-12

Okay, here's a question for you all. In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a puzzling verse and I'm wondering what it means.
Hebrews 8:11-12 "None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
In this passage He is talking to Isreal. What does it mean "...for all shall know Me..."? Wondering what everyone's take is on this.

A Story of Fruit (or A Fruity Story)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who liked to walk. She walked here and she walked there. One day she decided to walk up a hill and it took her to a vast pasture filled with trees of fruit. She was quite amazed and amused at the funny little fruits. "Hmm," She thought, "I wonder if I might taste one fruit." She plucked an unsuspecting fruit from the bough on which it clung. It let out a slight cry when leaving the loved branches that once was its home. As she was about to take a bite of it's crisp, tangy flesh, a warrior jumped out of the bushes and shouted, "Do not take unsuspecting fruit! A proper warning should be issued first." Now at this remark, the girl was quite taken back. She wasn't sure what to do. Could she possible issue a proper warning now? After the fruit was already in her clutches? The girl raised her timid voice and declared very clearly, in the direction of her possession, "Do not fear, young fruit. You are now mine and I shall eat you at once. You shall know no rot." With a proper warning ensued, the warrior hopped back into the bushes with great dignity. The girl happily munched on her luscious treat and continued walking through the pasture of trees. Soon her hands were empty of fruit (and her tummy full), and still the fruit on the other trees began to look tempting. Would it be okay if she didn't properly warn the fruit before eating? Would the brave warrior return? What would happen if she ate the fruit while still on the tree? Her thoughts were interrupted by a high, squeaky voice. "I was just reading your thoughts, and I was just agreeing with them that maybe we could get away with eating fruit while still attached to trees. Maybe then, no warrior would come to badger us into properly warning before eating." The girl looked over her shoulder to see what appeared to be her twin standing there. So with a twin for encouragement they both decided to munch and crunch the fruit of trees before properly picking or warning. This was entirely against the etiquette in the land of the pasture of fruiting trees. But this was unbeknownst to either of the girls and so they ate. True, they also didn't know the repocusions of such an act. They didn't know that many little warriors (who were the protectors of the fruit) would jump out of they bushes and pull their hair and kick them in the shins. They also didn't know that unpicked fruit gave nasty tummy aches to all who ate and made them feel quite like croaking. And this is exactly what happened to the poor young maidens. They were kicked by many little warriors and their hair was pulled in every direction (which gave them quite a headache) . Their tummies also certainly felt quite like a hurricane was sloshing about inside it. Eating such a fruit without proper warning or plucking was a terrible thing. If only they had listened to the first warrior like good little girls would've! And after such excitement the girls certainly did feel like croaking... so they did a little bit of that. And then decided to lie down on the ground till they were fully recovered.
Now if you ever go out to the fruited trees of the pasture and see two "twins" lying out there arrayed in the beauty of time, you shall know they have not yet recovered. But possibly, they will soon. We hope. Cause it might rain and they could get wet. T'would be a shame to get their fine clothes wet and muddy.
**Please realize that this story is based entirely on fabricated events and do not reflect factual people, places, things, ideas or any other type of noun. This story was written late at night when the author probably should've already brushed her teeth, taken out her contact lenses, laid down in her bed and gone to sleep. Also realize that a good fable is often fun and meant to be taken lightheartedly and without serious consequences. Thank you.

It was Fair

I went to the State Fair on Monday with Adam and Jim. It was, as it always is, a fair. Sand castles, lots of people, butter sculptures, more people, chocolate milk, cookware shows (we saw six of them; all advertising the same pots and pans!), french fries, and craft shows. Pigs, goats, horses, parades, dancing acrobats, lemonade stands, big and small bands, carriage museums and cows. Seeing as we went the last day, there were very few cows left to see. Maybe a half a dozen. No fun without cows! Okay so it really was fun. There was a demolition derby in the evening, but we didn't go. We didn't have tickets ($14.00 each) and we also didn't feel like standing in line to get tickets (REALLY long line!). But we did end up meeting this really nice giraffe in the petting zoo. They are so cool! People were feeding him carrots. He (and his brother) would stretch his neck down toward the carrot and his long black tongue would wrap around the carrot just as if it were a hand. It was pretty cool.
After leaving the fair, we drove through Syracuse looking for Dinosaur BBQ. Syracuse is a very confusing city to drive in. We stopped and asked for directions a couple times, but to no avail. Finally we found a nice man driving a police car. We asked him for directions and he hemmed and hawwed trying to explain to us in the easiest way how to get there. Finally he gave up trying to explain it and said, "Follow me." (This is different; following a police car instead of being followed by one.) So we followed the officer down different roads and side streets (we definently would have never found it) till we came to the BBQ place. It was closed. It was Labor day and the restaurant had set up at the fair. Now what? Well, one of the guys that Adam had asked directions from, had warned us that Dinosaur might be closed, and had suggested The Spaghetti Warehouse. So, we asked the officer about that place. It turned out to be right around the corner, so we followed him there. With many thanks and a wave good-bye, we had finally made it. Dinner was about to be served. Now if you're ever in Syracuse, The Spaghetti Warehouse is an excellent place to eat. Just have fun finding it.

Preying Mantis: Endangered?

Can you see him? He's putting up his fierce claws as if he's defending himself or about to fight. We found him in our living room, climbing the curtains like he owned the place. Adam said, "What is that?" We rescued him from our indoors (and our cat) and set him free. Preying mantis are often thought to be an endangered species, but I looked that up and found that it is not true. Oops, because I recently told some young friends of mine that they were. Josiah, one of the kids I was teaching for the last 5 1/2 months, caught one not too long ago and brought it in to show us. They really are quite neat little insects. God's variety is amazing. I remember the first time I saw a preying mantis. I was pretty young, and had taken a walk to the town library with my Mom and siblings. We found one on our way and Mom told us how they were endangered and illegal to kill. I always thought they were since then. Why would anyone want to kill them anyways? They are good for gardens and eat many pesty bugs, so maybe that's why the rumor started that they were endangered. I guess no harm was done in believing they were endangered, it kept us from squashing them, right? But now I feel more informed, and I'll probably correct myself and let those kids know the real truth.
Speaking of the kids, my last day as teacher was on Friday :( Coe, Bethany, Noami, Joe, Rebekah, Katherina, Megan and I have become good friends over the past months. Although I won't be seeing them weekly anymore, I don't think that our friendship will end. Monthly visit should be in order as well as continuing contact via the U.S.P.S. They have taught me alot and hopefully I have also taught them alot. I know there has been good progress and hopefully they will continue in the upward climb (which I am sure they will) with their new teacher this fall.