Happy Birthday to Me

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnda
Happy Birthday to me


PS. I finally learned how to post a video on the blog. This is the Speech I was referencing earlier.

Jimmy V on the ESPY Awards 1993

They Didn't Give Up!!!!

THE GAME WAS AWESOME!! Duke beat Boston Colleg 78-70. It was intense. It was exciting. Coach K is here too. The fans for the most part were good. However, there were a few around me that I was a little afraid of. Kinda scary. But it was a great game! Here are some pictures below. It was a great moment in the middle of a looong week. Thank you God for that time.

My Poor Boys - Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give UP.

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I have not written in a while. Things have been pretty busy up here and pretty cold. February is an extremely busy month and I am sooooo looking forward to March 3rd. Other things are going on that I will share at a later time but keep me in your prayers. I am facing some new challenges that I have not faced before and I am working hard at it. Jimmy Valvano said, "Don't Give up. Don't ever give up" in a speech about cancer at the ESPY awards - a month before he died. So, I am not giving up. You can see his speech by clicking this link. You should see it. PRetty inspiring. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePXlkqkFH6s

It has been busy. Last weekend, we had two funerals in one day. Then the next day, we had the annual business meeting after church and then a youth class and superbowl party afterwards. YEAH PEYTON MANNING. I was dead tired the next day.

Also - if you don't mind, put my boys in your prayers too. Duke has lost four in a row. I don't know. There is pain in my heart. But, they are young. AND - the GREATEST thing is happening on Wednesday. I get to go see them play!!!!!! I GET TO SEE DUKE PLAY ON WEDNESDAY!!!! They are coming to Boston to play Boston College - which is about 10 minutes away from me. I GET TO SEE THEM PLAY!!!! SO - I am hoping and praying that they will win. They are coming up here with that four in a row loss. So, Don't give up boys. Don't ever give up!

Like my picture of the angelic bear and the devil. I have angels that watch over me and I cheer for a blue devil. hmmmmm

I am preaching on the 18th Keep me in your prayers. Charley starts his paternity leave tomorrow. Ahhh.

To go along with the whole "Lead with your heart" theme, Valentine's Day may be Wednesday but don't let that be the only day you say "I love you".

When It Rains it Pours but then the Sun Shines!

Or should I say, when it snows - it blizzards. I could not start my car yesterday (friday) so I rode the bus and then walked to work (10 degrees!). Today, my landlord and I tried to get the car to start and it didn't. The battery died in the car. Died - dead, no longer alive - dead as a skunk in Newton. I had to get a new battery. I just got a new radiator and thermostat. Hopefully the madness will end. The cool thing though is the mechanic who works on my car. The shop is a block away and he calls me "neighbor" and says, "How are you Rev?" Then and tells all his employees, "she's a reverend. be nice to her. she will pray for us".


BUT - there was a good thing that happened today!!! In the midst of the car blizzard, the Sun (son) came out. Charley, the senior minister at the church, and his wife Mireille had their baby boy this morning. Emmett Eastman is his name and he is ADORABLE with the deepest blue eyes you can imagine. 6 pounds 12 ounces born at 10:38 am. I am putting a picture on for you to see. He is about 5 hours old in our picture. Ignore the person holding Emmett and enjoy the precious gift of a child.
Emmett is lucky to have parents like Charley and Mireille. They are the best. And he also has the bestest big sister in the world - Phoebe.

Snow Comes Down

Here is some Boston snow for you to see. There is the car with a pretty white blanket. There there is a picture of the lake near where I live. Nice and frozen and covered.

Update on Gracie

Gracie is doing better. She has the hyperthyroidism and is on medicine two times a day. We grind up the little pill (because she hates it when i try to shove it down her throat) and put it in a couple of scoops of fancy feast cat food. Her appetite is back. He personality is getting back to normal. We are going to try the medicine for a while. I would love to cure her completely, but I need to save the money in order to do that.
I want to say thank you to Kim and to Laura for reaching out. That really meant a lot to me. You send out a plea and you find out who cares. You guys are awesome. You make the quote at the top of the page (under the heading) just as true. Thank you.
There is a close up of Jelly Bean (the orange one). As Gracie had little appetite, Jelly Bean was nice enough to pick up the slack in the food department. haha

What is Wrong with Virginia?

People up here are asking me what is wrong with Virginia. George Allen is using racial slurs, Virgil Goode is breaking first admendment rights - or that at least, our "free" country should not be using them - and does not see what he is doing wrong, hmmmmm AND now Hargrove from Hanover is telling african americans to "get over it".

You would thing there is a conflict about statues on Monument ave or something

Things were pretty rough this week. It is 10 degrees right now.

Gracie had to go to the vet and she may have hyperthyroidism and will require life long treatment. I can get her a one time shot that will cure the hyperthyroidism BUT it COSTS $1200-1300. I think I have that in my pocket. Let me check.
The car is breaking down and needs a new radiator. BUT here are some fun pictures for you to see.
NOTE: The picture of the house is ACTUALLY one house that a family lives in. I saw it when we went Christmas carolling.

Weather outside is COLD

OK - you have been wondering when the weather was going to become Boston-like weather. Here it comes. The HIGH on Wednesday is supposed to be 20 degrees! The high temps in the next three days: 43, 36, 32, and 20. We are supposed to get snow in the next day or two. It's gonna be COOLLLDDDDDD.
Before it got too cold, I went into town to take some pictures. Old South Church, Trinity Church (the one that reflects in the glass building), Boston Public Library, and the Citgo sign that marks two miles until the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The building just to the right of the picture is the entrance to Fenway Park. I could not find a way to get into the stadium to take pictures.

Governor Patrick

We had an Inauguration here yesterday - for Deval Patrick - the second African American voted as Governor. Doug Wilder was up here and people were asking him, "did you take a step back to become mayor?" I couldn't help but laugh. Then I laughed more about the wild time he is having in Richmond. haha

One More Surprise

I did one more thing that I need to show you. I got my hair cut. It had not been cut since August and I asked for a certain cut. I even had a picture. She went WAY short. Check it out for yourself. There is a before and after.

I Am Back - Happy New Year

Hey Everyone,
I am back. Sorry it has taken me a while to update the blog. For most of you who read the blog, I was in Richmond visiting you, so you know how my week went. :-)
I spent a week in Richmond and it was a good trip. I was delayed in JFK Airport on christmas morning but that was not a bad couple of hours.
I got to see the people that are important to me in Richmond. Those outside of Richmond, maybe I will get to see you soon. Those at BTSR, email does wonders until we can see each other. Ok - the trip was good. I saw people I needed to see. I heard things I needed to hear. I did some things I needed to do.
On the way back, would you believe it SNOWED in Boston? I flew back, got on the bus, spent about an hour and 1/2 at the South Station (train station) and took the Commuter rail back to my house. It snowed and I walked home in the Snow.

The bigger news is that I finally purchased that digital camera that I have been wanting for awhile. People were kind enough to give me gift cards and money towards the purchase.

Of course, I have been playing around with it. Mostly cat pictures until Saturday when I go downtown to see some sights and play with the camera. Until then, enjoy the pictures of the cats!

Christmas Pictures and kitty poses

Here are pictures I finally got developed. You can see my Christmas tree - the first one I have had in six years. You can see how the cats have taken over the place. You can also see pictures from my FIRST trip at the nutcracker. I would have taken more pictures at the Nutcracker but I got caught taking these pictures and they told me to stop. The pictures at the Nutcracker are from inside the Boston Opera House that was renovated 10 + years ago at over $3 million dollars I think. Anyway, enjoy the pictures and see that Christmas is pretty good up here.