Hitchhikers.

I don't get them.
They stand on the side of the road on the edge of whatever town I happen to be driving out of (or into).
All scruffy and rapist-like, with their arm extended and thumb pointed out.
How on earth did they get there in the first place, and where are they going (clearly not to my house or to work, which is where I am likely going)?
No sir, I cannot give you a ride.
Go make a phone call at the business or payphone that is steps away.

Absolutely

Belief and truth are not reliant upon each other. Believing something with all your heart does not make it true. Not believing something that is true does not make it less true.

There is nothing like being home...

...for the holidays, or anything, for that matter.

Top Eleven Things I Love About Minnesota.

11. Restaurants are smoke-free
10. People have actually heard of the Evangelical Covenant denomination.
9. Roads get plowed
8. Scandinavians
7. You can actually see the sun setting
6. Lakes
5. Landscape
4. Minnesota Nice
3. The accent
2. The seasons
1. It's where my family is


This list is neither creative or comical. But it is true. Also, it's where I was this past week, hence no posting.

One more week until Christmas Eve!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

Airport

On the way back from the airport today, I realized that I was just there last Friday. And then I thought to myself, I'll be there once again next Friday. Three Fridays in a row! It gets better. The next time I will be there after that will be the following Thursday evening. And then December will be over. And then I'll go back the following Friday. Soon there will be a time that I won't remember not going to the airport.

Christmas Shopping...Five Things I Noticed.

All the cool toys are made for people over the age of three.
If it doesn't jump off the shelf and into your cart/buggy, then it's not worth getting.
If you're not excited to give the gift, it's not worth getting.
If it's too big to fit in your luggage, don't even think about it.
Everything will seem like a lame gift if you're hungry.

Dear Splandi*,

You absolutely drive me nuts. You don't have to talk all the time. I would be more forgiving if you actually said something worth my while -- something intelligent, witty, or even mildly relevant. I know God put you in my life to teach me patience, and I'm thankful. But seriously.

Thanks,
Laura



*Name may or may not have been changed.

Relieved

It's so much easier to breathe when the big things on your to do list get checked off. I almost want to cry, I feel so relieved.

Christmas Songs.

Maybe it's because I'm sitting with a blanket around me planning a Mexican Christmas Coffee Seminar, or maybe it's because I'm also listening to Vince Guaraldi's most wonderful "A Charlie Brown Christmas," but I felt compelled to take a quick break and share with you my two favorite Christmas songs and their lyrics. While both of them are unashamedly about Christmas, they are each my favorite in a different categorie. "The Christmas Song" is my favorite Christmas song that you probably won't sing in church, and "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas song that you would sing in a church, but even people who don't go to church have heard of it.

The Christmas Song
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping at your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
Merry Christmas to you


O Holy Night
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

Goal to achieve by age 30.

To live my life in such a way, that when I'm invited to a party in which a white elephant gift is required, I will have absolutely nothing to bring.

24 Hour Superlatives (Least Wordiest to Most Wordiest)

Nicest thing I’ve done in the past 24 hours:
-Before I went home, I brushed the all the snow off of my co-workers’ cars after my shift was over (it was a great workout, and if I actually exercised, I would count it as my “30 minutes a day”).

Dumbest thing I’ve done in the past 24 hours:
-Last night I put in the movie Singin’ in the Rain to have on in the background while I was doing my Bible study. This afternoon I saw the box on the floor in front of the TV and realized that I must have forgotten to watch it somewhere between putting it in and walking the 3 steps to the couch.

Best Customer Service I’ve received in the past 24 hours:
-Today at Giant Eagle, I couldn’t find any salt to put on the sidewalks and steps. So instead of going to the self-checkout lane, I was forced to interact with a cashier. I asked her if they had salt to put on the sidewalks and steps, and she said, “Yes, it’s out front. I can ring it up for you, and then you can get it on the way out.” And then she rang me up and said, “Will you need a buggy* to carry the salt to your car?” You see, I had only a basket with me, as I was only picking up a few things. I said, “Yeah, that would be a good idea, wouldn’t it?” And then she went and got me a cart. I said thank you. But she wasn’t finished. She asked if I would need help, and even though she was already making her way to the door, I was like, “I should be fine.” But she didn’t hear, and walked all the way out, around three or four other shoppers, got the bag of salt, and then rushed back to my cart and put it in there for me. I said, “Thank you, I think I can make it from here.” And I really meant it. She went above and beyond. Good thing I didn’t go through self-checkout, like usual, eh?


*in some parts of the United States, people call shopping carts buggies.

Providence

Why do we think that if we stay in one spot God will take care of us more than if we were to go on an adventure? Don't you think that if God wants us to take the adventure, he would fully equip us beyond our wildest dreams?

Field Trip

Yesterday while it was snowing in Minnesota and the surrounding states, it was clear and sunny in Western Pennsylvania. Cold enough to bundle up, but clear and sunny nonetheless. Which was a nice departure from the normal gloom (see: today).
Anyway, we decided to take a field trip just under 2 hours away from here to go and see Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece Fallingwater. It was a pretty fascinating piece of architecture. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the house and on the tour, but we were allowed to take pictures outside the house and of the waterfall. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to post them. I guess you'll just have to read about it on the Fallingwater Website, and then come visit us so we can take you there.

Free Concert

Tonight we went to a free concert at Geneva College.
Ryanhood.
Two guys and their guitars.
One of them with the first name of Ryan, and the other with the last name of Hood (hence their name).
Very talented.
And entertaining.
But don't take my word for it.

Day off

The best thing and the worst thing about a day off are one in the same, and it is this: you have the option to do anything you want, even if you don't want to do anything. And most times, that is what you accomplish: nothing. That is the best thing about a day off, and also the worst.

Therapy

Nothing like a little furniture rearranging and christmas decorating to refresh the soul.

7 Purely hypothetical Things. But answer if you feel like it.

What benefit is there in feeling sorry for others?
What benefit is there in feeling sorry for yourself?
What is the difference between feeling sympathy for someone and feeling sorry for someone?
When you feel sorry for someone, does it suggest pride on your part?
When you feel sorry for yourself, does it suggest that you are selfish?
Is it an insult to feel sorry for someone?
Do you feel insulted when someone feels sorry for you?

Searching for presents, opening them all up, and then rewrapping them and putting them back until the big day.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the question, "If you found out you were pregnant, would you want to know the gender (of the baby), or would you want to be surprised?" And, even though I hope I don't have to answer this question for a long time, I thought I would like to have at least thought it through a little bit, should the day ever come that I have to answer that question.

At first, I thought I might approach this topic by answering all of the pros and cons of knowing and not knowing. And I did that, but I won't share, as I'm sure you can think of some on your own. Instead I did all the research, formed a conclusion, and will now share the reasons why. Before though, I would like to preface this by saying that ultimately, it's the parents' decision...and not really one of those right or wrong things. Just a personal preference. So don't get all offended if you disagree with me.

I think that I would like to be surprised. I think that's part of the anticipation of it. To help me come up with this conclusion, I thought of opening gifts that you've found hidden somewhere. There is absolutely no fun (in my opinion) in knowing what all of your gifts will be before the person who worked so hard and thoughtfully to get them for you can give them to you. Sure, you might feel a personal connection to the gift, but there won't be as much anticipation for the gift. There will be no element of surprise. And, if you find out the gift you will be getting is something you didn't want, then you will dread getting the gift, and the only thing left to work on is your appreciative facial expression that you will try to wear whenst opening it.

Another thing that helped me to reach this conclusion was to think of one of my pet peeves. I really just don't like it when we're in the middle of watching a movie, and someone who hasn't seen it asks a hundred questions about what will happen to this character or that storyline. And I'm just like, "Wait and see! If you will only have some patience, the movie will answer your questions!"

Which leads me to another point, kind of unrelated to the rest of this post. People these days are always in a hurry, always rushing. I wish we would all just slow down a bit and enjoy life, without stressing about every detail, and without racing to each stoplight. Can't we just enjoy the ride?

On Cereal and Legalism, Part 1

*****

If you put a used cereal bowl in clean, soapy water, it will start to get clean. If you take a wash cloth (dish rag?) and lovingly scrub the inside of the bowl, and then rinse it off, it will most likely be clean. Both inside and out. If you take another used cereal bowl and just clean the outside of it, and then put it in the cupboard, it will look clean until you pull it out the next day at breakfast, only to see a bunch of crusty grossness.

Back to the clean bowl. Let’s say it’s not ceramic, but plastic. As in, you could drop it without breaking it. Let’s say you drop it on the floor (it is early in the morning, after all, and you want your breakfast). Let’s say before 10 seconds is up, you scoop the bowl off the floor. Would you say that the bowl is still usable? I would. Unless you live in a house with a mud floor. And I’m assuming you don’t for the sake of illustration. I would say that the bowl is still usable, because you’re going to put the cereal on the inside, and it’s not like you’re running a restaurant and you’re serving the cereal to a health inspector. You’re at home fumbling around at five o’clock in the morning, and you happened to drop your plastic breakfast bowl on the floor.

Now let’s say you dropped it on the floor, and then in your laziness did not pick it up again for 5 years. In 5 years, would you still use that bowl as it is to eat out of? No, you wouldn’t, because it would be full of dust and God only knows what. But the bowl is not rendered completely unusable; it can still be cleaned out, and then used for enjoying your cereal.

How are you?

Top three reasons a person might ask, “How are you?”

3) To make small talk/be conversational, or as part of a greeting (i.e. “Hi, how are you?”)
2) They actually care how you are, and want to know how you are doing, more than just “fine.”
1) They want you to ask them how they are because they enjoy talking about themselves, or they have big news and are looking for a way to share it without just bringing it up “out of the blue.”

Reasons 3 and 1 are the most common, and reason 2 is the most admirable.

25 words.

A quarter of a century.
A quarter of a dollar.
The day in December that we celebrate Jesus' birthday.
Halfway to 50.
Happy Birthday Me.

Energy

It's not that I don't have the energy. It's not that I don't like them. But I'm saving myself for my own children.
I think I need to save for a few more years.

Priorities

Sometimes you have to complete a list of chores before you can write for fun on your blog. Sometimes it's your day off and you never change out of your pajamas.
Sometimes it's cold in your house so you have to cover the windows in plastic and bake a bunch of cookies just to stay warm.
Sometimes.

What is your price?

I just got done writing this whole wonderful little essay about not being so attached to your possesions, and how the rich man in the Bible was so sad because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. I then discussed which possessions in my life I would cling to (or have a hard time giving up) if Jesus told me to sell all of my possessions. Because even though I am not by any means a rich man, I do have a lot of prized possessions. Then I talked about how God takes care of us, meeting our basic needs and more. I even recommended additional reading in the end of Matthew 6.
Long story short, the internet connection got lost, and therefore blogger did not autosave, and I accidently deleted the whole glorious thing.

And then it hit me. I was taking the essay as a possession, and God said, give it up already, just type out the verse and let it be.

So here it is.



Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
(Matthew 19:23-24)

God bless.

Dan in Real Life

I'm not going to do a whole review, I'm just going to say that I really liked the movie, for several reasons. And you should go see it. To get a taste of the soundtrack, go here.

Haunting

Have you ever had a dream that you couldn't get out of your head?
This morning, I woke with a start at 7am eastern time. I had just been dreaming about a former job, and had just gotten told that one my former coworkers had died.
That's when my eyes popped open.
My heart races even as I type this, because the dream seemed so real.
I went as far as to google the coworker's name to see if there was any news on the topic, but then I figured, if it happened this morning at 7am eastern time, perhaps no one has printed about it yet?
In other news, I'm dressing up as myself in 1984 for Halloween.
The costume involves clothes in various shades of pink, pigtails, barrettes, and a stuffed animal.

Question on Fasting

Have you ever fasted over/about something?

If so, what were the results? Would you do it again? Did what you expect to happen, happen? Did it bless you spiritually? Did you fast from food, or something else? How long did you fast?

If not, why? Would you ever consider fasting? Do you know anyone who has?


I'm not necessarily talking about Lent here. I'm moreso referring to a time when you need an answer from God, so you fast and pray about it.

I would cherish any thoughts anyone might have, and please don't let the questions I've asked limit you. Perhaps you have an answer about fasting that I haven't asked about.

Unfinished thoughts on the power of Jesus

...
I've been studying the book of Mark in the Bible, and recently the account of Jesus calming the storm has sparked my thoughts.

To catch you up*, Jesus and his disciples were on a boat, and Jesus was sleeping (with his head on a cushion). A whopper of a storm blew up (and it must of been pretty severe, given the disciples were experienced fishermen, and they were crapping their pants), and the disciples woke Jesus up and asked him, "Do you even care if we drown?" He woke up and told the wind to quiet down and the storm was instantly calmed. The disciples were amazed and said, "Who is this, that has power over the wind?"

Think of all the possible implications of this story. I haven't even thought of all of them, I'm sure.
But, given the power of the storm....how much more powerful is Jesus, who has the power of God...who is God? Why do we get so frantic over the things in our lives when we have a God who is steadfast and way more powerful than the things that frighten us? Does that inspire you or frighten you?

Also, what must've the faith of the disciples been like? They had enough faith to go to Jesus when the storm was out of control...but they still questioned him. Plus, it's not like it was the first time they had ever hung out with him. They had seen many miraculous things by this time. Didn't they think he could do a mighty miracle for them, too? But I can still relate. Easily. I have even more information than the disciples did, and I would've still been a little (or a lot) frightened on that boat, it's just my nature.



*My paraphrase, from memory. To get the actual account, go to Mark 4:35-41.

Western Pennsylvania Haiku

Mostly, it's pretty.
Other days, a foreign land.
In Western PA.

Isaiah 55:12

You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!

Amos 5:21-24

“I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living."

Name in vain.

You know how, when you're in a crowded room (or any room with any amount of people in it, for that matter), and you think you might hear your name? Your ears perk up, and you look around to see who's trying to get your attention or to see who's talking about you.

Or, you know how, when you see your name in print, and it's spelled slightly wrong, that feeling you get that says, "Why can't they just spell my name right?! You know, when you see "Lora" but it's supposed to be "Laura." Or when you see "Steven" but it's supposed to be "Stephen."

Ok, you know what I'm saying? You know those feelings?

I can only imagine what God feels when He constantly hears "Oh my God!" and it's not a prayer.

Not that I know or can relate completely to how God feels, but that's another post all together.

Pumpkin Patch

Right now (or so) for...

Klaipeda, Lithuania: 43 degrees...feels like: 43 degrees

Long Prairie, Minnesota: 44 degrees...feels like: 38 degrees

Upsala, Minnesota: 46 degrees...feels like 40 degrees

Saint Paul, Minnesota: 52 degrees...feels like: 52 degrees

Minneapolis, Minnesota: 52 degrees...feels like: 52 degrees

Windsor, Colorado: 56 degrees...feels like 56 degrees

Los Angeles, California: 62 degrees...feels like 62 degrees

Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania: 68 degrees...feels like: 68 degrees



{All Temps are Fahrenheit}
www.weather.com

Pittsburgh

Warmth

A nice thing to do when you are cold is to put a sweatshirt in the dryer for 5 minutes, take it out, and put it on. So cozy. But don't take my word for it.

Some Semi-Organized Thoughts On Evangelism

A Passage:
Paul's Joy That Christ Is Preached
And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.
For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.
And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear.
It's true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.
They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News.
Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.
But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.
For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.
-Philippians 1:12-19, New Living Translation


A Quote:
"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
-St. Francis of Assisi

Propaganda:
I'm just going to come right out and say it: tracts are a big turnoff to me. I really don't like them at all. I really don't like them at all because they assume something about me. More than once I've been handed one at work. Is this to assume that people that work at Starbucks must not be Christian? Another thing I don't like is how non-relational they are. Every single time I've been given a tract, it has been from someone who doesn't know me, for one. And for two, it has usually been left on the counter while my back has been turned. So when I turn around, they person who left it there is gone, and all that's left is a little book for me to read, and apparently get saved by. How cowardly! The most cowardly tract to date is the one we found hidden in the retail. If those people who leave these tracts would take five minutes to get to know me, they would know that I already am a disciple of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but there are other people here that are, too. And don't you think that we can be a better witness by living and working amongst people than by throwing literature at them and running? I will rejoice because the Gospel is being "preached," I guess.

Crazies:
Have you ever been walking (or driving) down the street, and been bombarded by some crazy yelling hellfire and damnation? Some of the crazies, in their hearts, are pure in their motives. And they are definitely not as cowardly as those who hand out tracts. But, like their friends who hand out tracts, they are very impersonal. You have to admit, that even if you agree with what someone is saying, it can be very off-putting if they're screaming it on the streets for all to hear. It could be very intimidating to approach such a person and ask them to go sit down to a cup of coffee and discuss what they feel so passionately about. I have to give them some credit, though, because when I see these people, the first thing I think is "Crazy." But the second thing that comes to mind are these verses from 2 Corinthians 5:
Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too.
Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart.
If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
-2 Corinthians 5:11-15, NLT

Promoting:
Sometimes, I find it easier to promote entertainment than to promote Christianity. And to come to that realization presents a challenge to me. Why is it so easy to say, "Oh man. You have to read this book!" or "I just saw the most hilarious movie -- you should go see it. In fact, I'll go see it with you, it's that good!" I think it's easy to promote something you like to your friends, because you might have an idea of what they like, and know what to recommend. I also think that it's easy because they're your friends, and if they happen to not love the song you recommended, you can still be friends (probably). Why do we think that if we recommend going to a certain Bible study that our friends will abandon us?
(at this point, Laura had already finished writing this entire post, but the ending was lost when she tried to publish it and the internet connection disappeared. She is frustrated, but glad that at least this much was saved. in fact, she thinks it would be ok to just leave it at this, and let other people respond to see what they think...if there is indeed anyone who actually is reading this and has thoughts.)

239 Things on the Horizon

After a summer of mostly not being on the internet, I've decided to enhance a few things about this site. Hopefully, it will be refreshing, but mostly, it will be like any other blog. But it will be mine (which is part of the enhancing).

Some things that will be better:
1) Frequency - I will try to post at least every other day.
2) Topics - Somedays I might be creative, profound, and scholarly...but other days, I will just write what is on my mind, even if it isn't creative, profound, or scholarly.
3) That's It. Because what more could enhance a blog than high frequency and a variety of topics?

capacity

Just because I'm smart doesn't mean I know everything. On the same token, just because I don't know something doesn't mean I don't have the capacity to.

Bible Reading.

On June 15th, I decided that I would read the entire Bible by December 31st. I figured I would need to read roughly 6-7 chapters a day in order to keep caught up. As of today I've read through Joshua 6. I'm caught up. I've written out a plan so as to be able to keep caught up and up to date with where I'm supposed to be.
Someday I'll post the notes I've been taking.
That is all.

Godmade Beauty and Manmade Beauty...

The first thing it says in the Bible is that God is creative. He creates. Man, made in God's image, is compelled to be creative as well. God can create something from nothing, but man must create using things that God has already created.


Godmade beauty...



Manmade beauty...



Godmade beauty...


Manmade beauty...

It's ok! I have a license to own and operate this device!

Keanu Reeves once said something pretty profound (and to be fair, he didn’t say it so much as his character on the sagely movie Parenthood did). His character, Tod, said this: “You know, Mrs. Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.”
You also need to get a license to get married and to go hunting, among other things. Think of how much more pleasant the world would be if people also needed a license to buy and use a cell phone. Imagine if, in order to obtain a cell phone, people must fill out an application and take a little test. If they fail the test, or score poorly, they must take "cell phone etiquette" class. At the end of the class, they will be tested again, and if they pass, then and only then will they be allowed to own and operate a cell phone.

Here's a little sample of what the quiz might look like:

1. You are at work. Where would your cell phone most likely be found?
a) At home, in the car, or on silent in my purse/jacket pocket. Somewhere where it won't be a distraction or disturbance.
b) On my desk or hooked onto my pants.
c) In my hand.
d) Near my ear.

2. You are driving. Where would your cell phone most likely be found?
a) In the passenger seat.
b) On my lap.
c) In my hand.
d) Near my ear.

3. You are in a pretty serious relationship. How do you most likely say those three magic words?
a) Face to face.
b) Over the phone.
c) In an email or voicemail.
d) Text "I <3 U" Or "143"

7. Texting is...
a) The lowest form of communication.
b) Sometimes the best way to send a quick message at any time of the day.
c) Making my phone bill really high.
d) The only way I will communicate with the people "closest" to me.

8. I have a cell phone....
a) For emergency use only.
b) So I can better keep in touch with friends and family/instead of a land line.
c) ...because, who doesn't?
d) ...therefore I am.



People who answered mostly a's and b's would be able to get a cell phone without taking the class. Those who answered mostly c's and d's would most definitely need to take the course.

Up North

Looking Through the Round Lighthouse Windows

A Foggy Lake Superior

My Cup Overfloweth....but not today.

Every woman has a cup in their soul to hold tears. Some of us have larger containers than others. If something happens that elevates our spirits, dampens them, enrages them, or snuffs them out -- some tears get added to the cup. The more emotional the situation (be it emotions of joy, sadness, or anger...any emotion, really), the more tears fill the cup. You can imagine the moment when the situation brings enough tears to overflow the cup (hint: imagine someone crying).
Some women's tear cups are smaller than the size of a thimble, and that is why they cry more frequently -- it doesn't take much to fill their cup. Other women's tear cups are a little larger, and therefore they don't cry as easily.
Don't be mistaken in thinking that a larger tear cup is better than a smaller tear cup. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. While someone with a smaller cup may cry more easily, she will also more likely stop crying just as easily. Smaller tear cups equal not as many tears. That is why when a woman with a small tear cup hears joyous news, she may shed a couple of tears of joy, and then be able to move on without being completely beside herself in the following moments.
On the other hand, take a woman with a large tear cup. While it takes more to get her started to shed tears, it also may be difficult for her to stop once started, as there is a bigger bank of tears to draw from. That is why a woman whose tear cup is large, while able to contain her emotions through stressful and frustrating times, will one day break into uncontrollable tears and cry for at least 10-15 minutes. Such a woman might actually seem inconsolable, but it is actually good for her to get those tears out. Let them run their course.
No matter the size of their tear cup, most women agree that when it's starting to get filled, it feels good to just let it overflow.
It should be noted that at certain times of the month, a women's cup may be automatically filled to the brim, or somewhere near it. This explains why we sometimes cry at the drop of a hat or all day long.

Men, I would imagine, have tear cups too. ...But their's have lids.

Smoke Breaks

I've been thinking lately that if I were to ever open up my own business, I would make sure one of the interview questions I asked potential new employees was: "Are you a smoker?"
I think it would be a valid question, because it has been my experience that smokers require more breaks than the average nonsmoker. And anyone, be they a smoker or not, should agree with me. At least, for the sake of this post. Actually, if you disagree, that's ok too. We can still be friends.
Anyway, when I was thinking of this interview question, a bunch of other thoughts came to my head. A bunch of "what ifs," if you will. And I'll share those with you, but first, reminisce with me.

A couple of a jobs ago, when I was still one of the newbies, my supervisor and I had this interaction (it should first be noted that it was early on in the shift, it was not busy, and we were the only ones working):
Her: Hey, if you need a smoke break, now would be the time to take one.
Me (not a smoker): Ok, thanks.

I then went and got a cup, filled it with water (not too much of a pop drinker, either), and sat down. I was about two sips in when we had this conversation:

Her: What are you doing?
Me: I'm taking a water break. You said I could take a quick --
Her: I said you could take a smoke break. What if the boss comes in and sees you just sitting there?!

I am still baffled to this day as to what the difference is between sitting outside and smoking, and sitting anywhere and doing something else. I have yet to work at a place where it's encouraged to sit and do something other than work...unless you're taking a "quick smoke break."

Here is where all the "what ifs" come into play.

What if, for any old addiction, you could take a quick break? Say I'm addicted to updating this blog....what would it be like if someone said to me, "Hey Laura, do you need 10 minutes to go update your blog? Now would be a good time to go do that." Or what if someone was addicted to trimming their nails? Would it be acceptable for them to take a few breaks just to quick go do that? What about sitting and staring at nothing? What if someone got cranky just because they didn't get their regular fix of sitting and staring at nothing?

Or let's think of something a bit more realistic. What if some kid is addicted to sending people text messages? I think it's appropriate to say "some kid," because not too many people over the age of 20 need to text their friends every ten minutes. Or even every day, for that matter. In the future, do you think it will be acceptable to send people on breaks so they can text people?

What if someone comes up with a study that concludes, "Texting may be harmful to your health. Pregnant women should use care when texting.....etc." Soon different restaurants around the country would have to have "texting sections." And when you were waiting to be seated, the host would ask, "Texting or non?" Not long after that, people in the non-texting section would complain that "just because there is a divider between sections, doesn't mean that some of the texting doesn't leak into our section." And the people in the texting section would retort with things like, "I can't help it, I started when I was just a kid" or "Those studies haven't proven anything, I can quit texting whenever I want." People would write angry letters to their newspaper's editors, and then to their favorite politician, and after some time, a few establishments would label themselves as "Non-texting restaurants." I would imagine they would put signs up like, "Thank you for not texting" and "Text-free."

I can't help but picture some poor sap, on her first day on the job, when her supervisor tells her that if she needs to take a text-break, now would be a good time. And then the look on the supervisor's face when she finds the girl just sitting there smoking a cigarette. "What are you doing?! What if the boss sees you?!"

Ten Years Ago, Remembered

We opened the door, and my brother was sitting on the floor playing Nintendo.
"What are you doing home?" we asked.
It was fishing opener. My 10-year-old brother got out of school early, so he and my dad could go fishing. They should've been gone by now.
"Dad doesn't feel good. He has a headache. He's sleeping."
"Oh."

Moments later, my Dad stumbled, slightly off-balanced, down the hall. He needed something to drink. He went to the fridge and got a bottle of Coke, and then stumbled back down the hall.
"Are you ok?" my sister and I asked.
"Yeah."

"Let's watch the movie Hook. I got it from the Library," my sister suggested.
That sounded like a good plan, so we put the movie in and began watching. My brother got up to go to the bathroom, or perhaps to go see how Dad was doing. Seconds later, he ran down the hall to tell us that Dad was passed out in the doorway between the bathroom and our parents' bedroom. We called Mom, who was scheduled to be home from work in about an hour, to see what to do. She asked if Dad was breathing. We said that he was. She said that she'd be home soon.

When Mom got home she went to check on my dad. Brought him some aspirin. Helped him into bed. Suggested that she take him to the doctor.
He refused. He said he didn't need to go to the doctor.
My siblings and I continued to watch our movie. Mom started to think about dinner.

About halfway through the movie, Mom went to check on Dad. She came back reporting that she couldn't wake him up. He wouldn't wake up. She was going to call 911.

I decided that I was going to my room and shut the door. I didn't know what else to do. I brought some homework with me and set it on my lap. Soon I could hear paramedics in the house. I covered my ears with my hands. All I could think was, "Maybe he'll have to go to the hospital for something. Maybe he'll have to stay there for awhile, and we'd go visit him. Maybe it would help him to stop smoking." I was always nagging him about his smoking.

Just when it was almost too much to bear, our neighbor lady came over and took us over to her house. Just so we could get away. As I stepped out into the hallway, I could see a bunch of people standing over my dad. They had him laying on the floor. He was not awake.

We walked over to the neighbor's. It's all a blur until my mom came over. She had a blank expression on her face. We asked her "What's happening? Is Dad ok? Did they take him to the hospital?"

"He's gone."

"He's....dead?"

Mom nodded. "They think maybe it was an Aneurysm in his brain."

Everyone started to cry. I couldn't cry. Not yet. But I would later that night in my bed, by myself, where no one could see me. Everything at that very moment seemed so surreal. So unexpected. How could my dad, who got up and went to work that morning, who was fine the night before, be gone?


Author's note: This is typed as is. As I was thinking it. It's not trying to be anything literary. It's just a memory, as I remember it. It's probably seems "rough-draft-esque," but I have no intentions of going back and editing it. It stands as it is.

Dedicated to my Dad.
March 6, 1952-May 14, 1997

Bridges

.....And since pictures are worth a thousand words, maybe someday I'll try to come up with a thousand words that describe each of these pictures. Don't hold your breath, though.

Drive-through Etiquette

This is just a list I came up with. Some of this etiquette could be applied to other things in life, too.

1. Order at the designated place before you get to the window.
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused. It'll save everyone time and agony later.
3. Speak clearly; don't mumble, scream, or look the other direction.
4. Don't talk on your cell phone while ordering, it's rude.
5. Don't talk on your cell phone when you're at the window, it's rude.
6. If you are on your cell phone, excuse yourself and say you'll call the person back. Or just set it on your lap for the duration of the transaction. The person on the other end should understand. If you absolutely need to finish the conversation, go park your car, and then when you are done on the phone, make your way over to the drive-through.
7. It's ok to order a cup of water in addition to what you are getting. It's tacky to order only a cup of water.
8. Tip, if there's the option.
9. If there's a line, a good thing to do while you're waiting is to get your money out and ready.
10. If the cashier is nice enough to greet you and ask you about your day, the least you could do is respond. The cashier is a person too, after all.
11. Tell the cashier to have a nice day, too. It's polite.
12. Say "Thank you."
13. The cashier is most likely not the one who prepared your order. So if a mistake is made, don't put all of the blame on the person in the window.
14. Patience, good humor, and an understanding heart can make someone's day.
15. At the very least, turn your music down while placing your order.

First Post.

This will be a site that is basically a list of things that I like....and whatever else strikes me creatively.
Maybe someday I'll share it with people I know.
But first I think I'll wait until I've written something decent/taken a decent picture...etc.