Life

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I don't generally "do" Thanksgiving Day.  This year I'm really not.

Tom and I are at home, we got take-out rib tips and we're getting ready for a movie marathon (Transformer 2 and the new Star Trek movie)

But I am thankful.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity,
"I shall never be moved."
By your favor, O LORD,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I wa dismayed.

To you, O LORD, I cry,
and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
"What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me!
O LORD, be my helper!"

You have turned for me my mourning int dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30 ESV)

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My first real walk since getting sick.
huff park, nov 9, 2009 Toby (he doesn't like getting his picture taken. He'll look you right in the eye until he sees a camera and then he'll look away. It took several tries to get this one)

huff park, nov 9, 2009

This park is in the middle of the city - I love walking here. We saw three deer, but only got photos of two of them. Tom and I saw a red fox here last year and snakes, frogs and other critters are plentiful.
huff park, nov 9, 2009
The photos are a bit fuzzy, but they were taken at dusk without a flash.

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I have a good dog.

He's made a couple of "mistakes" in the house, but it was while I was sick and I had not learned to listen to his "language" yet.

He got off the leash in the yard one day and came and waited by the door instead of wandering off.

He's never jumped up on my lap, but today he did, over and over...until I showed him Henry's dish so he could make sure that the cat didn't have food (Toby only gets a prescribed amount because I bought really premium food until his coat comes back and it's pretty calorie rich)

His tail wags all the time.  Well, except when I found his mistakes...or when he goes to his "room" for the night ( large dog crate).  But now that he knows that I'll come back and let him out, he takes a treat and goes in by himself.

He stays right by me most of the time or wanders into the hall to lay on a blanket I put down for him.

Henry...doesn't like the dog - at least they're not "buddies" yet - but tolerates him very well.  The cat does not mope around like he did before I got the dog - he's not as clingy with me.

The problem is that the cat is now spending more time on my computer than I am (literally).  He's been sleeping on the keyboard.  One morning, he was apparently sitting on the F9 key and when i got up there were 137 help windows open.  He also opened outlook - my apologies to whoever he sent the email to.

(and I'm not mentioning food, because this is not the "what my cat had for breakfast" post - other than his insulin.)

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Several things have happened...

In my attempt to be pound my "singleness" into my brain and in that hurt, I put way too many distractions on my plate for this semester.

I've been sick and not doing much of anything.

So...I've dropped classes (even the fun one, although I may revisit that one next semester) and now that I'm feeling "better" (which is a very relative thing)

I'm committing to getting back into blogging and being active in my "normal" haunts.

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But still very scattered and tired.

I have a deep cough but don't know when I'll be able to get to the doctor (I have conferences until 7:15 Monday and Wednesday and massage until 4:30 on Tuesday.  To miss any conference time or work time this week messes up my "comp time" that I will need to cover district days off later in the year.

I have an art panel due Thursday, along with two art projects (including lesson plans) on Thursday.

I am still not focused on anything and my brain is not doing well.

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I'm seriously considering dropping the drawing class.

I'm enjoying the challenge and I like the work that I'm doing.

But I'm overwhelmed and not doing well.  I'm behind everywhere.  I may drop the class now, finish well in Art for the Elementary Classroom and pick up the drawing again in January.

I need to decide quickly (this weekend).

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One of my "facebook" friends is (are) a missionary couple who are here in the states for a little while - they are stationed in Uganda.

They have two adopted babies (one of them was adopted in Uganda) and today they are adopting two snowflake babies.

Also known as "embryo adoption" these are "leftover" embryos from another couples IVF.  Rather than discard, destroy or use them for research, the biological parent have chosen to give these embryos to an infertile couple.

Today, Angie is having these two embryos implanted.

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My church is a venue for "ArtPrize" - the first piece of art that committed to being in our building was a Calvin College grad.

Our building will be open to the public for 10 hours a day for 2 weeks...I've committed to working for a couple of 5 hour shifts...serving coffee, greeting people and answering questions.

This morning I helped hang up artwork and got to chat with a few of the artists.  I also got the chance to talk a little more with fellow congregation members (who happen to move from a certain mega-CRC I used to be a member of)

And I asked...what if I want to go to Rehoboth...for real.

I got a "preview" of what is going to happen tomorrow in service.  I cried this morning and I'll cry tomorrow.