Ten on Tuesday

1. What's more disappointing? - Not having a submission chosen for publication or having a few chosen, only to learn that none of them were included in the magazine? I was a little sad to get that mail...


2. Have I mentioned lately that I have a wonderful husband? Love you sweetie!


3. Still coughing - after two weeks, but feeling much better. Seriously.


4. Taking iron again...


5. Another shout-out for Toomers4Tuscaloosa - 'like' them on FB to get a glimpse of all the wonderful ways they are helping storm survivors.


6. I've finished my big girl - [and I think I love her] she needs to be secure in her frame and then she'll hang in our little foyer for a bit -


7. I'll admit that since January I've lost interest in most yahoo groups and scrapbook forums where I'm a member, and I really don't check my favorite blogs daily anymore either...


8. Too much life going on - and, yes, I'm enjoying creating art!


9. My kitties have missed me, but sadly, with this cough I've had it seems my allergy to them has worsened -


10. And lastly, say a little prayer for our mom as she's dealing with some health issues...
    

Books I've Read since January 30th

This post is not a commentary or review – just a simple list of those I’ve read. Let me know if you’ve read them too! Some are books in a series, some are not fiction, but most are just good love stories or mysteries with a Christian component.
Here’s the list of books I’ve read recently [in no particular order] –

Nicole Bart – After the Fall

Jerry B. Jenkins – Riven

Sherry Kyle – Delivered with Love

Mike Mikalatos – Imaginary Jesus

Richard Mabry – Medical Error

Siri Mitchell – She Walks in Beauty

Debby Mayne – Sweet Bakklava

Francene Rivers – Leota’s Garden

Virginia Smith – Age Before Beauty; Third Times a Charm; Just as I Am

Eileen Smith – Michal: A Novel [A wife of David]

Lysa Tyrkeurst – Craving God; When Women Say Yes to God

Susan May Warren – Happily Ever After

Lisa Wingate – Talk of the Town

Nicole Young – Love Me if You Must

Favorite Photo Friday

A favorite photo that a friend of mine posted on face book a few weeks ago -


That's a RECORD we're holding, people...
way back in high school, hanging out together in a friend's basement...
Love how this documents that time in my life ---

Random Notes

that helped me make through the last couple of weeks while dealing with person-after-person [on average I saw over 100 people a day - we saw over 30,000 people this last week alone…]

- In the last two weeks I’m sure I’ve heard every possible southern dialect [think Steele Magnolias] and Spanish as well, and…hmm, German, Indian, Iranian, Asian and Czechoslovakian too

- I’m confused that someone living in a homeless shelter with no income has a better cut and color than I do – just sayin'

- I never realized so many southern women are named after their fathers: Michael, Allen, Ronnie, Bobbie, Jo, Sam, even saw a couple of Alex’s and Martins

- I believe in prayer and Dayquil -it’s what got me through

- Can I just say once and for all – WOMEN! Stop supporting these men in your lives! I can understand a short-term unemployment, but this is a LIFESTYLE…and while I'm on the subject, there's others who shouldn't let their man run around fancy free, dressing all GQ, while you're taking care of the kids on food stamps..

- When I’m tired and sick I have little tolerance for ignorant people [be glad you weren't the last person I saw on Sunday who came in with a better income than me yet demanding that I give her the benefits..…]

- I get frustrated with people who continue to text while being interviewed – I finally told him it was rude and I wasn't going to continue until he stopped [I also told him I'd say the same thing to my own boys -]

- Kids [a term I use loosely to describe anyone between 18 and 30 – ha] in urban areas have whiter teeth than those in rural areas… - and more tattoos… - and more tongue studs [yuck.]

- There's also more old hippies and strippers [young and old] in urban areas

- People who obviously lie disgust me – there, I said it.

Whew - good to get that out -

Have a good week y'all; BE WEATHER AWARE! I'm recuperating from one terrific head cold and catching up after being out of my office for three weeks - yippee.

No Ten on Tuesday for a Week or So...

Live Simply
Love Generously
Care Deeply, Speak Kindly
because
Life isn't about
waiting
for the storm to pass...
It's about learning to
dance in the rain.

[This is a favorite quote that's been my 'tag-line' over on the Fiskars Forum forever.]

I just want to share a little more about the tornadoes that ravaged our state at end of April. Since we were without power and then out of town for a week we still haven't really seen or heard about all of the devastation - about those small communities where family after family lost everything. And I know that there are others facing a similar thing with the flooding of the Mississippi - but I am touched deeply by the stories of the people of Alabama - afterall,
these are my people -



We don't usually *see* storms like this in the south - we have PLENTY of tornadoes, for sure, but most are smaller and they are almost always wrapped in rain so that no one can see them until they're right on top of us - we ARE SO THANKFUL for the enhanced radar and detection abilities to *know* a storm is up there, even when it doesn't drop down. This looks like something out of a movie - oh my - and I had friends watching it live
- knowing it was headed straight for them or their kids in college...

So, I want to start by sharing something a friend of mine shared during the terrible storms of last spring - [and I paraphrase] "I think we should be cautious about saying, 'oh I'm so blessed that we were spared, etc.' Being spared this tragedy doesn't mean God loves me more than He loves my neighbor who lost it all. We all must face trials in this life, and they are different for everyone."



Afterall, I first posted a link to Praise Him in the Storm back in January when we were beginning the walk through our own storm with the diagnosis and illness of Craig's dad. And now to hear these words with the photos from the Tuscaloosa storm is still comforting because we know that our God is there for us -
through all the storms of life.

After working 13 hours days [yes, there's a little weariness and complaint in that] this week, meeting victim after victim of the tornadoes I can say without a doubt that there is still so much trauma and devastation in our state. It will take months and years to re-build...

This video is from the University of North Alabama where many students from the Phil Campbell - Hackleburg area go to college - and where I received my undergraduate degree...




From another friend's facebook post after she'd visited family over in Phil Campbell [where it looks like a bomb went off as you can see above.] Someone commented about 'God caused this, blah, blah blah..." and my friend's quick response - THIS IS FROM THE DEVIL. God may have allowed it, but bad things don't come from Him; the bad stuff comes from satan alone. And while some may take exception to that, I just have to say that I agree - if we get down to the nitty gritty of the spiritual warfare that's going on all around us [and it's there, folks] then we know unequivocally that the bad stuff is from satan and his demons. Doesn't scripture tell us this? Our God is merciful and loving, a God that can use the bad to work good for those who turn to Him - He's waiting to show us a comfort and peace that the world cannot give - and to glorify our Lord above all else.

There were so many tornadoes in our state that day - Here's a link to one of the best news articles I've read about the ONE GIANT TORNADO that traveled across miles and miles - the writer does an excellent job making it real for those who have never experienced such tragedy. [It's long - but so worth the time...]

This week our Department [Alabama DHR] started the process of working with the Federal Government to help storm victims who lost their food [and about 3/4 of the state did due to power outages] replace it if they qualify -
and I met some amazing people.

[And saw the Red Cross in action - helping people in tangible, much needed ways.]

Not all of those I met lost their houses. but many lost freezers full of vegetables they'd painstakingly grown, harvested, and frozen for the future; many are hard-working men and women who live paycheck-to-paycheck and lost all of their food and cried when they were approved. And I know there was a time when we would have been in that same situation - what a gift [small as it may be] this is to them. [Of course we did have this one sweet-looking granny who had a little --?!-- too much savings and cursed us 'son-of-a-b---' as she threw her chair against the table and left; but she's definitely the exception...] More counties will be offered this assistance in the weeks to come [so yippee, I have another week of long days ahead of me,] and seriously? I'm glad I'm in a position to help. And thankful that food was all we lost. [The worker sitting next me all week was dealing with a hole in their roof and getting her car repaired from a tree falling on it - yet was there with a happy face to help others; another one had lost everything... - That's the kind of people who work in social services.]

So I want to share another quote I love,
"Be kind. Everyone's dealing with something."
What's big to me might be small to you and what's big to you might seem small to me, but the point is, we all have to deal with some struggle as we live in this imperfect [fallen] world.
The least we can do is be kind...

We still need help, in all parts of the state -
Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief
Toomers4Tuscaloosa
Caring for the Pride
Alabama Red Cross

Ten on Tuesday

1. Last week we had a previously planned trip to New Orleans [Craig on business, me as a tag-a-long.] We stayed at a beautiful, small hotel in the French Quarter, just a couple of blocks from the Mississippi .
2. It was a neat little place with only 80+ rooms that was built as grain processing building back in the 1800s and was fire station before becoming a hotel. [And yes the uneven floors and nooks and crannies of the hallways gave testament to the age of the building.] LOVED IT. But you know I love quirky.
3. I can’t pretend to really *know* New Orleans – we’ve been there many times through the years – but mostly to the French Quarter, and out by the zoo and Tulane [and oh yay, that one time we stayed at the ALLIGATOR FARM – a true test of being a mother of boys for me – ha.] IMO - It can be a filthy – filthy city, but it can also be a really beautiful city full of history of a truly blended people. A nice place to visit, but we’d never want to live there.
4. While Craig was in his meetings, I enjoyed seeing the sights – antique shops, artsy stores [oh how fun!] lots of candy shops tucked discreetly here and there [nothing blaring like in Gatlinburg,] diners galore [we didn't eat at one,] and of course, the “standard” souvenir shops.
5. And I also enjoyed the beautiful architecture and culture of the French Quarter, and okay, the occasional trip down the street [eight blocks or so] to Café DuMonde. Mmm – make that daily trips, sometimes twice. And I took a cooking class too – so fun! I walked for hours every day and so enjoyed having no real schedule…
6. All the walking is the only thing that kept me from gaining ten pounds because we surely enjoyed the food as well. Craig’s Cajun food of choice is crawfish etouffee [and he enjoyed several different varieties,] while I enjoyed different things – shrimp BBQ with grits, jambalaya, shrimp po-boy [above], gumbo, shrimp creole, and of course, pralines and beignets. Yum. And that delicious chicory coffee. Oh my.
7. But let me tell you – my innards were none too happy with ME by the end of the week – still, it was worth every pain and discomfort, because we just don’t have food that good up this way. Ha.
8. One of the pleasures of the French Quarter is the music – zydeco down in one part, jazz in another, and who knows what out on Bourbon Street . We enjoyed it all – from the street performers to the trio at The Court of Two Sisters during brunch, to the calypso music blaring from the local riverboat..
9. And yes, we did take a little stroll down Bourbon during the late afternoon hours – and oh my goodness [said in my best MK voice!] it’s a different world over that way – yes, we saw the unsavory side of life, but we also saw some fun [creepy -?], off-the beaten-path street people, and the dueling pianos at Pat O’Bryan’s [if it hadn’t been so dark and dirty feeling we might have stayed a bit, but I just couldn’t shake that itchy feeling to get out of there, but that's just me folks.]
10. It was a wonderful week – and we came home to have a great weekend as well – I had a scrapbook event planned [I’ll share more about these scrappy outings another time] and Craig fished with his buddy. Then on Sunday, we went over to The Shoals and had breakfast with my mom, lunch with Craig’s mom and came home to a [soon to be] beautiful bougainvillea in a hanging basket from my boys. They’re hard to find in our neck of the woods, and I’m so happy they made the effort!

Favorite Photo Friday

Another one from the archives


- straight out of the camera goodness -

This is my mom and her youngest sister [there were ten girls -!-]
- taken by my dad in the mid-50s.

Just a little everyday goodness:

- sitting on the bank of the Mississippi with my sweetie,
eating beignets with a tall cup of cafe-au-lait...

Ten on Tuesday

1. So, how do I even begin to talk about this week? Most of you have already heard about the devastating storms we had on Wednesday... the storms of the century some say... [photo off the internet - Cullman, AL]
2. Over 150 tornadoes counted in our state alone...
3. So many injured, so many deaths, sooooo many houses damaged or destroyed...
4. Over 300 people still missing in Tuscaloosa... [photo from my cousin's backyard - Decatur, AL - thanks Sandra]
5. For us - not so bad. I stayed home from work on Wednesday since I work on the 9th floor and would be in the basement all day [would rather be on leave, at home, where I can watch the radar and keep up to date with the weather as it came in.]
6. Our electricity went out late afternoon and didn't come back on until 11:30 Sunday night. [Only 30 % of our county has power and we're being asked to conserve since MAJOR lines still have not been repaired.]
7. So we packed up to ice chests with the stuff we wanted to save most from the freezers and took it to a parent's house.
8. We cooked and ate a TON of shrimp Thursday night, along with frozen potatoes and corn. [Just keeping it real, folks.]
9. We lived by flashlight for a few days [thank goodness our water was still on - so no problem there.] Love [[LOVE]] these caps with lights on them.
10. And we pray for those who have lost everything - literally. We're just now seeing the news reports and videos from the last week. It's just overwhelming as the reality of it all sinks in.Go HERE to donate.

Obviously, not in a place to update this. But I will soon - it's a great quote -

[[roald dahl quote]]