uuuugghhhhhhh

ok - i have not blogged in a little while. it has been a crazy week. the biggest part of the crazy week is the fact i am about to blow up my car. it broke down yet again and is at the gas station. i don't know what to do. i think i need to go ahead and get rid of it and get something else but not sure if i can do that. Since i was without full time employment for five years, i am still trying to get my credit back on track and credible for people. i can't imagine a car company not allowing me to have a car for that reason.

also, i am working on my taxes now. there is one bad thing about being an ordained minister. unfortunately it is a BIG BAD thing. When you are ordained, the state and fed governments consider you self-employed. this little piece keeps many deserving people from being ordained because they don't want to deal with the "stuff".

i am a bit frustrated and trying to remember there are more important issues to deal with than a car breaking down or taxes i can't seem to get right. hey, maybe i will get arrested for getting my taxes wrong and i won't need a car. how great would that be?????

i know there are more important things to deal with and people out there, including those i love very much, are dealing with true issues/concerns that are much more important than my little stuff. Sorry to my aunt and uncle for crying about my stupid issues. i hope you enjoyed your week last week and behaved with your visitor!!

here is some more snow

Here is another picture of the snow. Today is the last day of winter and it is snowing as I speak. The picture is the Newton City Hall, my little city hall.
And, I saw Gracie and Jelly Bean on the bed together. I could not resist taking a picture of them. I rarely get that. hee hee

Let it snow?

Well, Wednesday got up to 70 degrees. Friday it got up to 7 inches of snow in my town. A little baffling I think. Even more than Richmond's weather. I was out today shoveling and sweeping. It took about an hour to get my car in a place where I can get out for church tomorrow.
The great thing is that my landlord helped me shovel and clear the way. That's why it only took an hour. Then again, we stopped and talked a couple of times. He has been really nice. He helps with diagnosing my car problems and taking care of the apartment.
I had to go to a meeting this morning. A friend picked me up. The main roads were actually in pretty descent shape. My road oddly enough was not. You would think differently knowing that the mail trucks have to be on my road in order to get to the post office and get the bundles of mail.
Logan Airport was closed Friday afternoon. We canceled our coffeehouse.
I will try and get more pictures for you tomorrow.

sniff sniff - my season is over

I can't believe I am saying this. I can't believe I am about to admit this. I am still in shock and pain. My boys have lost. My Blue Devils have just lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney. And to top that bad news - they lost to VCU from my home town. This is the first time Coach K has ever lost in the first round. The snowball is frozen down under there - you know where.

Goodbye my boys. I can't wait till next year.

Gracie is feeling better

I am happy to report that Gracie is feeling MUCH better. She went back to the doctor and her thyroid is down from a 23 to a 4.1 (5.2 is normal). Yippee!!! This is the result of shoving two pills down her throat every day. She does not like that. When she sees me coming in the bedroom, she will get up and go under the bed. You can see her getting ready to stand on the bed when I come in the room. I have to hold up my hands to show there is no medicine in them. :-) But she is eating like crazy and is getting playful again. You will see a picture of a big mess by the coffee table. That is what happens when Gracie gets on top of the table and starts playing and jumping around. This is also her way of telling me she is hungry when I am watching a Duke game.

Also, you will notice that I got a hair cut. I finally got the cut I wanted. It is cute and takes me back to my college days. haha. It is shoooort.

Anyway, thank you for praying for Gracie. She and Jelly Bean and happy now. And so am I.
Hi Auntie Mo!!

Feeding the homeless

Here is an update finally. After we faced some ugly temperatures last week - 2 degrees, negative 8 windchill factor - we are in a warm week with the temps in the 50-low 60. yippee.
my car is not doing well at all. i had to get a new starter and had to take the bus into work while they were fixing the car. i took the wrong bus at one point and what should have taken 15 minutes, took 2 hours. i can't take the car much longer. i have to fix and fix and fix. i owe so much to the mechanic right now. ugh
Then there was today that put me into a better perspective. We went downtown to take lunches and worship with the homeless. it was a beautiful day inside and out. the youth did great. Even missing an hour of sleep did not keep us down.
Thank you God for reminding me what is important in life.
Hi Uncle Tom!!!
PS - I could use a haircut so I can see what i am doing. i think i will get one next week. hee hee

A Warm Day in Boston

Today was a great day in Boston. The temperature got up to 51 degrees so I took advantage of the day and went down to Boston Common to walk around. You get to see St. Paul's Church, Frog Pond Ice Skating Rink, Boston Common Park (the panoramic shot), and some of Boston's four legged finest. You will also see the Mass State House, where the government gets together to vote. It is a beautiful building. Does it beat Richmond's? Not sure about that, BUT the Governor does NOT have a mansion! He has to leave at his home.
I also got to see the movie "Wild Hogs" with John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and Bill Macy. FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY. I laughed the whole time. If you know my brother David, you will know that I could do nothing but think about him the entire time I watched the movie. It was great. If you want a wonderful release, a contagious laugh, go and see this movie.

The last few weeks have finally calmed down a bit. They ended with a grand finale. I had to go through the past two days of psychological, personality, emotional and career testing. It is a requirement for new ministers up in American Baptist Churches. I have news for you - I am actually SANE. It was pretty intense, however I learned alot. I am thankful that I went through the process. It can only make me better. :-)

Today felt so good to go out and walk. Today felt so good to get out and laugh. It was a good day.

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.