Photo Friday: The best of 2004

In a New York Mullet

Today, I'm not prettier, but I got this cool gotee to cover the scar on my lip. Ain't I purdee  

A year ago today I disfigured my face while riding a dirt bike without a helmet. It made for really gross Christmas pictures. I just got a call from Michael to go ride today. I reminded him of the accident exactly 1 year ago and he said we all need to stay off the bikes today. BUT, if I get all my work done by lunch time and it stops raining, I AM THERE. I'll wear a helmet this time. I just signed up for an accident policy with AFLAC. Greg Bradley told me last year I needed one and I put it off. After the facial thing, a broke leg and Kim's mishap in KMart, we could have racked up some dough, but NOOOOOOO, I was too cheap. Not any more. For a few measley $'s, I can get hurt and make some $. Bad thing is it doesn't start til Jan. 1, and I am going skiing Dec. 27. Can't get hurt till next year. At least all the deductibles are paid this year. Today, I'm not prettier, but I got this cool gotee to cover the scar on my lip. Ain't I purdee

A First

A first. I saw a little boy in the post office yesterday with the knee's torn and worn out of his jeans. I can't remember the last time I saw that. It's unusual because I don't think kids play outside anymore. I remember the big iron on patches my mom's would use to cover our holey knees. I use to try and wear them out just for the patches. Knees were great, but don't dare wear a hole in the seat. You DID NOT want a patch on the left cheek. Big fashion NO-NO. My attire as a kid: Rustler or Wrangler jeans, t-shirt, trax tennis shoes, ball cap with the mesh and big rope over the bill (Actually back in style). Later in the 80's people were wearing acid wash, stone wash, and pre-cut jeans. Come on. It's more fun to wear them out yourself instead of paying someone $50 extra to artificially wear them out. Next came the pre-worn-out over-alls. You only connected 1 strap. Remember? Maybe that was the 90's. Those were Arsenio Days. Today, you pay $50 for a tshirt that's 2 small. Pre-worn, pre-shrunk, made by some kid in cambodia making 3 cents a day and making someone ALOT of $. A&F, AE, Gap, so on and so forth. We use to actually buy cheap clothes, wear them out, and throw them away. Who'da thunk it. We could have bought cheap, worn out, and sold for a killin. Can you tell this is a random thought blog peiced together while attempting to multi-task. Not good for an adult ADDer. L8r.

Photo Friday Tacky

Photo Friday Tacky

Woes

A little down today after some bad news. A lot of questions no one can answer. I need direction, but long term vision (yeah, I hate that word) remain the same. How to get there is the real delimma. If God's word is a lamp to our feet, I need to see the step by step stuff. I see down the road and the way I think things should be, but what about today? Does it have any bearing on the final destination. So many factors way beyond control and that's scary. I know it shouldn't be. Does all this sound vague? It's supposed to. Everybody can't know the situation that has arrived. No, I'm not leaving and no I don't need therapy. Pray for a big bald youth minister today. He can use it. Thanks.

I (Heart) the 80's: Monday Madness

1. Top Three favorite 80's song - Every Time You Go Away by Paul Young, Respect Yourself by Bruce Willis, Power of Love by Huey Lewis 2. Top Three favorite 80's movie - Top Gun, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Rocky 3. 3. Top Three favorite 80's TV show - Dukes of Hazzard, Three's Company, Remote Control 4. Favorite 80's sports figure - Jimmy Conners, Larry Byrd, Spud Webb 5. Favorite 80's historical moment - Berlin Wall comes down 6. Favorite 80's memory - Hangin out and stayin outta trouble at the farm 7. Favorite 80's fashion trend - MULLETS!!!!!! Skinny ties a distant 2nd. 8. Biggest regret of the 80's - A certain person who will remain nameless and the end of The Electric Company (Last episode taped in 77 but aired in reruns til 85)

Change

Today, Change SUCKS!

Remodeling

Been up since 4:30 so I decided to sit by the tree and watch some useless TV. I had to scan the gambit of channels just to find something that wasn't an info-mercial. I read a little A.W. Tozier and started getting ready early, so I have a few minutes to spare before starting the day. Our house in Mullins got an overhaul and has new paint and new carpet. At least on the inside. Duh, like you'd put carpet outside, I mean paint. NO NEW PAINT on the outside. Yeah, that's it. Shut-up, I've been up since 4:30. Perry, Michael and I (they did most of the work) went up Thursday night and finished most of it by Friday night. It looks a whole lot better. In the adventure, I found out a lot about myself. If someone is around who is better at something than me, I will naturaly pass it off to them without tryng to do it myself. It's like I'm afraid I'll mess up. Instead of learning from my mistakes, I was afraid of making one. Michael made a very small mistake in trimming some carpet and I didn't get mad. It was small. Everybody makes mistakes. But I know I would have been upset with myself if I had made the same mistake. Does that keep me from taking risks and trying new things? Hmmm. I think I'll ponder it in my brain. I know this is a me and God thing and probably doesn't mean anything else to those reading, but It just stretches me to look at ME sometimes. Oh well, outta time, gotta go don the Sunday apparel and go to church. l8r

Blessed

Yesterday started out as the typocal Sunday. I got to church about 8 AM and suddenly realized I forgot about the 7AM Men's prayer breakfast. That started the rush, 2 sunday schools with worship service in the middle. Dinner @ mom's and back to it again. Here's where the path varied. We went to the Salvation Army in Columbia and served dinner. Our student choir performed a Christmas musical and I got a chance to share the gospel. I don't mean your run of the mill, don'tcha want to go to heaven gospel. I got to lay it out plain and simple and allow God's Spirit to do the rest. I prayed with a lady who's been clean from crack for 30 days. She wants a present for her 6 year old son who no longer lives with her. We prayed and I was encouraged by her determination to make it. Why do I do what I do? Calling I guess, but it sure does good for me to see teens leading out in serving, worship, prayer, accountability, and living Christ-like. They may have me completely fooled, but I really believe God is doing a huge work. I am Blessed.

Tree Hunting Part 2

Friday night, the hunt continued. We found the place by accident. Beautiful frasier furs. We got an 8 ft for $50. Pretty good around here and much prettier than anything we had seen thus far. The guy said he would trim the bottom, but after many bad experiences with bad trimming I opted to take it home and do it myself. 8:30 Friday night, in the front yard, I get all manly and pull out the chainsaw. I was the noise of the neighborhood for 10 minutes. I reved it real loud just to allow the neighbors to look out their windows to see my asperations as a lumberjack. In the stand, in the house, tilt and whirl and BINGO. Ready for the lights. Kim did most of the decorating and we had very little arguement. She's incredible when it comes to making a house a home. Furniture all arranged, tree all finished, porch beautifully decorated, it's Christmas time. I woke up this morning after a crazy day yesterday, sat beside the lighted tree in my chair and snoozed while feeling warm and cozy. Thanks sweetie. The house is beautiful.

Tree Hunting Part 1

We always put up a christmas tree. A REAL ONE! Frazier Fur from the hills of NC. We tried a virginia pine once, but ain't nothin like a NC Fur. Smells great and lives through the whole season. We usually have it up and decorated by the Saturday after thanksgiving. Kim and I have learned through the years how to do it. Either I or both of us go to pick the tree. It has to be close to perfect. Just the right height and fullness. Not to big, but just right. Straight trunk and straight top with very few bare spots. We've learned to look at the bottom branches to see if we lose fullness when we cut them off to put it in the stand. The best way to keep me from being a TERRIBLE person is for Kim to leave while I trim the bottom, put the tree in the stand, and get it straight in the house. She doesn't dare tell me it's crooked after I'm through. She puts on the lights (She's REAL good at it) while I stand there and pass them over the back and top. We then have our sweet argument about which of my old ornaments go on the tree and which stay in the box. You know all those homemade ornaments that have more meaning than taste. I love them, she does too, just not on the tree. When all is said and done, we will have a beautiful tree with Kim's touch. Rafia bows and gingerbread, A LOT of lights, non-blinking all over the tree and a few strands of blinking ones spead throughout. 4 weeks of a new atmosphere in the Stilwell House. I look forward to it. All of this started out as a rant over our pursuit of the perfect Christmas tree, but after writing all this, I'm not mad anymore. We looked yesterday, didn't find it, so we're back at it this evening. It's kinda fun.

Photo Friday Relections

Reflections on the Mullet