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Summer envelopes us.  The heat is most unbearable.  The air conditioning is our haven.  But Saturday we ventured out and attended a Fishing Derby at our city lake.  It was sponsored by a local business and was a fishing derby for kids.

I’m not much of a fisherwoman, nor is J-Dub a fisherman.  But Ashlynn is calm when she has a fishing pole in her hand.  She shows much patience fishing.

We gathered up a couple of poles, a bucket, and a few creme sodas and joined about 200 other families to attempt to catch a few catfish or perch. 

Boy were we lucky!!!

We found a semi-shady spot with a very small window for casting.  So inevitably, we had a fishing line in the trees quite often.

And often times I wish
One would be lucky now and then
And catch a little fish.
I watch them statuesquely stand,
And at the water look;
But if they pull their float to land
It’s just to bait a hook.

 I ponder the psychology
That roots them in their place;
And wonder at the calm I see
In ever angler’s face.
There is such patience in their eyes,
Beside the river’s brink;
And waiting for a bite or rise
I do not think they think.


Or else they are just gentle men,
Who love–they know not why,
Green grace of trees or water when
It wimples to the sky . . .
Sweet simple souls! As vain I watch
My heart to you is kind:
Most precious prize of all you catch,
–Just Peace of Mind.

This is a fun little thing from My Little Life’s Blog at fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com
 I thought I’d participate today. 

1. What were your school colors?

My school colors were and are (since I’m still in my home town) green and gold.  Football season here in this Texas town is a sea of green and gold on Friday’s…..lots of spirit.   But the elementary school colors where I work are blue and white.

2. What’s the best compliment you ever received?

The best compliment came from my wonderful cousin Susan who told me she has realized how unimportant material possessions and acquiring stuff really is, and that she learned that from me.  That made me so happy.  Stuff is just stuff, and it’s not ever going to matter after this life.  We shouldn’t focus on it.  I hope at my funeral, someone says I didn’t care about “stuff”.

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I like to think I buy the good stuff.  Kleenex Cottonelle is my preferred brand, Charmin my husband’s.  Once, when a little short on cash, I bought a generic brand.  J-Dub went out and bought Charmin and said he wasn’t about to use that John Wayne toilet paper.
Whatever that means…….

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?
No, and no.  And would rather not.

5. What is one material possession that you “can’t live without”?

This is a hard one.  I’d like to believe that I could live without most everything material.  I’m really attached to my computer in my day to day life. However, I’d hate to not have a Bible, (if I was left after the rapture or something) that would be tragic to me.  And then there’s books.  I love books.  Maybe I’ll just say my library card!  That way I could get on the computer there, read the Bible, and check out books.

So begins my life as a roadie.
Chapter 1.

J-Dub had his first drumming gig in the big town of Lefors, Texas yesterday evening.
So we borrowed a trailer, packed up the drum set, and headed down the road about 12 miles to a dot on the map.

We’ve hit the big time now, baby!!
I’ve always considered myself to be a small town girl, but soon discovered differently.
This little playing gig was to celebrate the town getting high speed internet, and pert near the whole town came out. 
This town is the kind with no stoplights and where dogs roam the streets at their own free will.  But like most small towns, it had some of the nicest, most accomodating folk around.

A wash tub bass. I learn something new everyday.

The crowd gathered up.
Even a young girl with her bitch dog with teats nearly dragging the ground arrived.  The girl had a posse of kids carrying a passel of puppies for the mama dog, I guess in case they got hungry.

The music was delightful.  I attempted a few photos, but sat too far away from the band.  I didn’t want security roughing me up, and I’d rather blend into the shadows anyway.  I did venture out to take some photos but I ended up sitting in a sticker patch and then standing in an ant bed, so I quickly made my way back to the safety of my chair by the pickup.

J-Dub played wonderfully.  The group had never rehearsed before and did a great job considering.  They played both dance hall music and gospel songs.  I tapped my toe and swatted flies and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I made a little video on my phone,  it’s total crap and the best I can do.  See if you can hear the drums.

http://www.youtube.com/v/JC1WQF6sIPg&hl=en&fs=1

Remember the wind blows here.  It’s not my fault!

http://www.youtube.com/v/qfrzw_tcpUw&hl=en&fs=1

I take full responsibility for not being able to tell how wonderful the drummer is due to my poor videography skills!

http://www.youtube.com/v/WIW0IX1Hjbg&hl=en&fs=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/JS5qF-cmrbE&hl=en&fs=1
When it was over, we got free burgers out of the deal.
Then we packed up his gear and headed home to unpack it.
Weeee!

My sister and her 2 hoodlums have come to town for a visit. 
So we took our other hoodlum niece and went to see “Despicable Me” at the movies.  I think it just gave them more ideas to become the worst villians in the universe. 

Put these three girls together and they’re vile.
On a good day.

We were walking to our car after the movie was over, and I was dragging up the rear of the group, moseying along, window shopping at Bealls.  When I got to the car, I climbed in the passenger seat, and pondered where the rest of the group had disappeared to, since I was the last of our party. 

I looked out the windshield and saw this man, woman, and boy huddled together staring back at me.

 I glanced around the vehicle and noticed unfamiliar cups in the cupholders, unfamiliar bags on the floorboards, unfamiliar everything. 

And in one gazillionith of a millisecond, I realized I was sitting in the wrong black Tahoe.

I saved the owners the humiliation of throwing me out of their car with my lightning quick ninja skills of bailing out and running away.

Three vehicles down, my sister and nieces sat in the “real” car, waiting. 
“Where have you been?” my sister asked after I climbed in panting.
“Sitting in the wrong car!” 

Boy, did we have a good laugh at my expense.

I’m not real sure my mom, her Grand, missed her at all.  I couldn’t tell by the facebook posts she wrote on her wall each day
 “I can’t wait to see your precious face.” 
 “I miss you sooooooooooooo much” 
 “I’m counting the hours until you come home”
 

Happy Birthday to my ten year old niece Hannah Elizabeth.  A girl possessing smarts, perception, athleticism, grace, charm, and the only red hair in the family.

And my one year old nephew Maxx Shane.  A baby with eyes like blue marbles and happy go lucky heart.  I’m looking forward to watching you grow up.

My firecracker of a mama turns sixty some-odd years old today!  Sixty-seven to be precise.

She loves pink.
She hates brown.
She speaks her mind.
She works in bail bonds.
She keeps her lipstick in her bra.  It’s shocking the first time she pulls it out in church, but after 3 decades I’ve become immune.

So in honor of her birthday, I wrote her a little song. 
Because like Loretta Lynn, I’m a dadgum songwriter. 
This is my public songwriting debut, but I had to steal the melody, because unlike Loretta Lynn, I really don’t have an ounce of talent. 

So everyone sing along to the tune of Jolene by Dolly Parton!

I’ve been reading The Purpose Driven Life.  It is designed to be read in 40 days.  I think I’ve been reading it for 5 1/2 years.  I stashed it on the shelf when I didn’t want to read what it had to say.  Didn’t want to listen to truths I knew I needed to hear.  Then I grew some:  spiritually, emotionally, and don’t forget quite a bit physically, (which has nothing to do with this, just had to point that out) and decided to pick it up again.  Maybe I didn’t decide, maybe Someone else decided for me, but nevertheless, I pulled it off the shelf.  I had a bookmark in it, so I just started where I stopped.

This morning I read Day 34, and boy howdy did it ever speak to this un-servant of the Lord.  The section I’m reading now is about how we have been given unique qualities and that we are to use who we are and what we are made of to serve others.  Our lives shouldn’t be stingy and selfish and only concerned with #1, rather should be used for fellow human “beans” out there. 

Day 34 is entitled Thinking Like A Servant.  My pencil underlined lots of thoughts in this chapter, practically the entire pages. 

Some thoughts that screamed at me from the pages of this book:

• True humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less.

• Servants don’t compare, criticize, or compete with other servants or ministries.  They’re too busy doing the work God has given them.

What’s my work God?  Or like Forrest Gump said, “What’s my destiny Mama?”  Sometimes I feel like a mouse in a maze looking for the cheese, not knowing which way to turn. 

• Real servants don’t complain of unfairness, don’t have pity-parties, and don’t resent those not serving.  They just trust God and keep serving.

It is difficult for me to look around and see people whom I perceive aren’t working as hard as I perceive myself to be.  Wowzers!  I need to just trust God and do what I need to do.

• It’s not our job to evaluate the Master’s other servants.

(Hanging head in shame)

• Servants willingly accept jobs that insecure people would consider beneath them.

• Only secure people can serve.  Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others.  They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions.

I worry too much about what others think.  When the only one’s approval I need is Jesus.

• Servants enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry.  They “serve the Lord with gladness”  Why do they serve with gladness?  Because they love the Lord, they’re grateful for his grace, they know serving is the hightest use of life, and they know God has promised a reward.

I admit I’m not a servant, and I’m conscious that I should be one.  I use excuses for my lack of service.   I think I’m too much of an introvert, not really a people person, don’t have the talents, or need “me” time.  When I truly look inside myself, I realize that it really all boils down to stinginess and selfishness with my time.  I want to do what I want to do, not what others need me to do.   Let me tell you, it’s not easy for me to admit these things.  But in order to get better, I must deal with it.  I’m going to work on this.  I pray that God will show me needs that I can help meet with others and will remove my selfish ways. 

Be blessed,
Angel

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length

she hangs like a cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There, she is gone!”

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and spar

as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load

of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says,

“There, she is gone!” there are eyes watching her coming ,

and other voices ready to take up the glad shout,

“Here she comes!”-

**stolen from a post on Facebook.  Unsure of the author.

I don’t think it’s a big secret that I want to be a famous writer and have my books made into movies and make oodles and gobs of money and never leave my house and be a mysterious author who won’t do interviews. 

Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that. 
Oh well, the cat’s out of the bag now.
Good authors never use cliches.  I know that, yet I just used one.  Which proves, I have a very, very, very long journey ahead of me.

I heard an excellent quote the other day.  It went like this:  “Fail often, in order to succeed sooner.” 

I love it.  I fits my life of writing.
And it fits my life.

Last year, I began writing a book.  And I’m not going to tell you about it because I read once that if you tell people about your book, then it’s “out there” floating in the world and the more you tell what it’s about, the more you are putting it “out there”, and eventually it is no longer inside you crying to get out and then you lose the desire to write it because it has completely seeped out of you and no longer exists as a story that needs to be told.

But I will tell you that it is filled with passion, murder, mayhem, love, romance, mystery, healing, horses, and perhaps a bit of comedy. 

All of that.
Sort of.

I read books quite a bit, however slowly, to see other’s style of writing.  There is a particular author whom all women on the face of the earth seem to swoon over except me.  Nicholas Sparks.  I watched the Notebook and thought it was a great movie.  So I tried to read the book and I found it sappy and dull and never finished it.  I’ve noticed Dear John is a movie now, so I checked out the book from the library and began reading it.  I perservered through the first 20 pages. 

And then I discovered Nicholas Sparks has stolen my idea!!!! 

Not completely, but partially.

So now, I must continue to read Dear John to see how much of my idea he’s stolen.  So far there has been no murder, mystery, mayhem or comedy.  Just a lot of love, romance, horses and passion.

But the point is, even though I have no idea how much Dear John overlaps my idea, and even though I haven’t written but 17 pages of my own book, it discourages me to know that a book that just might have a similar idea of mine is already a best seller and a movie and that some other famous author is making oodles and gobs of money and it could’ve been me instead!!!! 

So what did I learn from this? 

 GET OFF OF FACEBOOK AND GO WRITE A FRIGGIN BOOK BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE WITH BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT WRITES IT FOR YOU!!!

Time is wasting. 
Gotta go!