Days Eight and Nine: Disappointment and New Motivation

This picture is from yesterday, Aug. 15, but MM and I were exhausted at the end of the day and went to bed early. By the time I remembered that I needed to post a picture, I was too lazy to get out of bed and do it.


I'm going to call yesterday's picture "Disappointment". That about sums up my entire day. Remember all that yard work I completed on Saturday? Well, I had the intention to do the same in the front yard on Sunday. God had other plans and my yard work was put on hold. I took this picture from the front window showing the waiting-to-be-cleaned patio furniture just sitting in the yard. At that point, the lightning was extremely close and I never made it back outside to at least put it away. I know that we needed the rain, but I have to admit I was really bummed to not get the yard looking as spiffy as I could have.

The second reason that disappointment was welling up inside me yesterday is that I was quite fed up with not reaching my weight loss goals for the past few months. I am so tired of not getting anywhere. To be honest, MM and I argued over it because I wanted to do something drastic, like go away to a weight loss camp or hire a therapist. We went to bed on a pretty sour note last night.

I woke up this morning, still heavy-hearted, but I knew that God could carry me through even something as petty as my weight issues.


Readers, please meet my workout shoes. I love these things. They look a little frumpy, but they keep my feet in tip-top shape while I work out. These guys are going to have to get me where I need to go. Today's picture represents so many things; working out, putting my best foot forward, and etc. From this day on, my workout shoes are staying out, in a place where I will see them the second I walk in the door. Maybe if I get my working out consistent, my eating habits will follow! That is my fervent prayer; that I will have the power to change everything I need to in order to be a healthy person.


Update on MM: he went back to the doctor today and the diagnosis was fluid in his ear. He had a steroid shot and is on some over-the-counter meds until the fluid, hopefully, drains out.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." - Isaiah 40:29, NIV

Day Seven: Working Hard

Today's photo comes courtesy of MM. I was out in the yard from about 1 pm to 5 pm and then again from about 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm and he decided to snap some shots of me working since he couldn't help. The poor thing is going crazy, especially while he was watching me out the window. He told me he's never wanted to do yard work so bad in his life. He's still feeling rough and will be going back to the doctor on Monday. Please pray that he will recover soon!

Sorry for the tangent; back to the picture! I got a TON of yard work done in the back today. I was able to mow and weed-eat, clean out the sheds, scrub down the patio furniture and the dogs' water bowl, clean out our "entertaining area" by moving our weight bench and various weight plates to some available shed-space and rearranging the furniture, cleaned the back stoop off, trimmed some dead-wood from the trees, weeded half of the garden, swept out all the fence bases, and, finally, watered everything.

It was immensely satisfying to see the back yard so neat and clean-looking. I almost wish we were expecting company so we could go out and barbecue! The pic is of me weeding out the lettuce beds. I've been very negligent about the weeding lately, so it was a big task, but I'm so glad it's done.

Tomorrow I hope to do more of the same in the front. I might even get some before/after shots to post tomorrow night!

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." - John 15:1 - 2, NIV

Day Six: Arrrrgh!!

I honestly wish that this photo was staged, but it was not. I have not left my spot in the bed for the past 24 hours much at all. Posting this will probably be the longest I've been away all day. MM has spread his dreadful illness to me and it's all his fault. (I'm not bitter or anything, wink, wink.) I don't have the ear thing going on, but have a sore throat and fever. I have been reading, drinking hot tea (echinacea), watching tv, sleeping, taking meds, and slurping soup all day long. I really hope tomorrow's different!

It would have been great if my original plan for tonight's post, a before and after of the well-cleaned, freshly-trimmed yard, had worked out. I was actually starting to look forward to the satisfaction that comes after some good, hard gardening. Oh well. It'll all have to wait until we're both feeling better. I shudder to think what the yard/garden will look like when we finally get to it!

"On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.'" - Matt 9:12 - 13, NIV

Day Five: Self Portrait

I was playing around with the settings on my new camera and decided that a self-portrait every once in a while would be a fun way to remember my 29th year. It took me a while to get the shadow just right and it was hard to keep my shakes down, but I'm thrilled with the result. I'll be playing around with the "long shutter" mode much more after this.


I like that it's a bit somber, because that's about how I'm feeling right now. MM is still sick. He seems to start the day well, but gets to feeling bad again after I get home from work. I'm tired and doing all the house/yard work on my own is getting to me. This is the first time I can remember feeling like I wish there were 4 more days in the work-week to go. I'm not ready for the weekend and all the cleaning/weeding/laundry/mowing and etc. that has to get done.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matt 11:28, NIV

Day Four: TBR

TBR. "To Be Read". Does your pile ever get out of control like mine has? I hate it when that happens. It makes me feel like a literary failure.



In all honesty, I have had a taller pile before, but that pile did NOT have The Tale of Genji as the end-point. Next on the agenda: more time for reading. I want to know what's between the covers of these books!!!


In other news, MM is sick, sick, sick and has been for the past six days. I urged him to go to the doctor on Monday, but he did the "man" thing and passed. Fast forward to last night when he was up (and keeping me up) with a pretty severe ear ache. He finally went to the doctor this morning and the verdict is a double-ear infection. Just peachy. I refrained from telling him that he would be on day THREE of antibiotics and feeling a lot better if he had listened to me Monday.

So that's life here. Lots of reading to do and nursing MM back to his grizzly self.

"Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge." - Proverbs 18:15, NLT

Day Three: First Shot

For my birthday, MM told me to order my very own digital camera. We've been sharing an old Kodak my parents got us years ago and I was getting tired of the sharing part. So this came in the mail this morning and the first thing I did was start charging the battery and reading the manual. I'm so very excited about not having to hunt for a fresh set of AA batteries all the time!

I was so happy to get it, that I had to get at least one picture right away and here it is:



Why yes, that is a boring picture of my desk at work. Isn't it fascinating?! Of course I know that it's not, but I do love my new, red camera so much that it's exciting to me.

With the arrival of that package, I do feel my birthday winding down. I have some birthday cash that I plan on spending at a bead show in San Antonio in a few weeks, but other than that, it's over, kaput. I'm officially in my 29th year. Oh well. At least I have a new camera to document all the fun with!!

"The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." - Prov10:7, NIV

Day 2: One of Those Mornings

Have you ever had one of those mornings when the coffee couldn't be poured quickly enough?



This is my wonderful new coffee pot. It can be set to make coffee at whatever time I want it to. Isn't that glorious? I really needed that automatic timer this morning!

Last night was one of worst nights of sleep either of has had in a while. We were both wide awake at midnight for some reason, but forced ourselves to lay down and chat until we both dozed off. Then, at about 2:45 a.m., a huge thunder-spectacle hit that had us both awake for an hour. We finally fell back to sleep, but we were some cranky, groggy people this morning when it was time to wake up!!

I was grateful that my automatic coffee maker had a full pot ready and waiting for me this morning. I don't know if I would have made it out the door on time if it hadn't been!

We both made it through the day, though I admit I was in a bit of a fog and I'm not quite sure of the quality of the work I did. I'm sure we're in for a nice, comfortable sleep tonight and that we will wake up refreshed and ready to go tomorrow morning!

"People who work hard sleep whether they eat little or much..." - Eccl 5:12, NLT

29; A Gift (and A Lesson) From God

God works in mysterious, subtle ways. And sometimes He smacks you over the head with a two-by-four. Today was a two-by-four day for me.

I'm 29 today. I cried myself to sleep last night because I never thought I'd be 29 and childless, the weekend wasn't the birthday celebration we had expected, and MM was sicker than he's been in years. I woke up this morning grouchy and not ready to face my 29th year.

MM usually does the grocery shopping, and was going to go tomorrow, but his illness necessitated a Sunday trip and I was the only candidate. I ended up just planning out the meals and grocery shopping for the month, so the day was starting out with a rushed breakfast and a long shopping trip. I was not happy.

I headed out, as usual, to water the garden, mumbling to myself because, being my birthday and all, MM would have done it for me if he was well. I wasn't out there two minutes when God showed me His birthday gift for me. This beauty was flitting around my garden, drinking in the water I'd just showered on the ground.



She was huge, probably the size of my hand, and certainly the biggest one I've seen outside of a zoo or botanical garden. I am still in awe of the bright, beautiful colors. I am even more in awe of the fact that she kept flying away, over our tall metal fence, and kept coming back, giving me plenty of time to run inside, get the camera, and snap these pictures.



They aren't the best shots and they don't convey what I was feeling when I was watching her flit about, but I know she was a gift from God to remind me that I have SO much in life to celebrate. I am so humbled by the fact that God sent me a reminder of His grace rather than a harsh discipline for my selfishness.

My day still didn't turn out the way I had envisioned it, and I'm still a selfish, imperfect human inside, but I am reminded that the God who created that stunning butterfly created me with even more care. He wants me to be happy and content with my life, but He wants me to be content with the simple things He's blessed me with, like His creation.

I am a work-in-progress; every day I am reminded how un-Christ-like I really am, but every day I am given a fresh slate to try again. I know God has amazing plans for my life, and at 29-years-old, I know I am right where He wants me to be. I glory in the fact that tomorrow is unknown to me, but known to Him.

Thank you, God, for the birthday gift you sent to this selfish human. I pray that you will help me, every day, to remember that no matter how bad I think I have it, I have salvation through your Son, and my eternal joy is secure in You. Help me also to remember that everything in my life happens in your perfect time and to count my blessings every day!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" - Jeremiah 29:11, NIV