Holes???

I thought the definition of an "afghan" was: a blanket made out of yarn with lots of holes.

Well...mine is failing then, because no matter how hard I try I can't make it have holes!!! If I hold it up to the light and look through, I can see some small ones, but other than that it is a giant mass of solid yarn!!!

*sigh* everyone who looks at it will say..."Beginner afghan maker!!! Look at that! No holes!!!!"

A First

Tonight I started crocheting my very first afghan! I have no idea what it's going to look like when I'm finished...probably like it's my first afghan. :) But I love the yarn I picked!!!

Tom and Lainey Munger

joyously announce

the marriage of their son,

Benjamin Munger, to Keri Daniels

Saturday, August 6^th, 2006.

In celebration of this event,

you are invited to a reception given in honor of

Benjamin and Keri Munger

Saturday, October 28^th, 2006

from 3:00-5:30pm

at Franklin Covenant Church,

Belleview Park Rd, Franklin.

Come and go as you wish

or stay the afternoon.

The couple is registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond and especially need kitchen things, like pots.

Happy to be here

I walked out the gym door tonight and thought, "Yes! This is what I love about where I live. The air...it's like a hug! This is home."

Friendlies (or Fuwa)

These are the mascots for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Aren't they cute???

"Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and blessings from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow--and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name--a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games."

They're on their way back!!!

Ric, Brandon and the Wrights are flying back today...all of them.
YEA!!!!!!

more Barbarian Way

"No matter how we try to spin the story, the Bible is filled with tribes of irational people. When Noah built the ark, he did not live in a flood zone. When Elijah called down fire from heaven, he had never tried it before. Go ahead. Give it a shot. See if it works for you. I didn't think so. David should have left the giant alone. Hosea never should have married a prostitute. What was Moses thinking when he pointed his staff at the Red Sea-that it would move because he commanded it? And that's just to mention the more popular and highly admired followers of God.
Those people did not live normal lives. Their actions were ludicous and irrational if you take God out of the formula. Given proper counseling, they would have known better than to do what they did. The vitality of their life in God moved them beyond the practicality of simply being reasonable."

The Barbarian Way

"To have the Spirit of God dwelling within the heart of someone who chooses a domesticated faith is like having a tiger trapped within a cage.

You are not intended to be a spiritual zoo where people can look at God in you from a safe distance.

You are a jungle where the Spirit roams wild and free in your life.

You are the recipient of the God who cannot be tamed and of a faith that must not be tamed."

-Erwin Raphael McManus
The Barbian Way pg. 66

A quote from my cryptoquote obcession

IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHAT TEMPERATURE A

AW NSPLQ'W ZHFP H NAKKPVPQYP CMHW WPZTPVHWJVP H

ROOM IS IT'S ALWAYS ROOM TEMPERATURE

VSSZ AL, AW'L HOCHIL VSSZ WPZTPVHWJVP.

- STEVEN WRIGHT

- LWPUPQ CVAEMW

It's Fall!

April has opened all the windows and according to the thermostat, it is a nippy 67 degres in our house. We may actually turn on the heat tonight, or at least break out the blankets.

Hmmm...

Last night April and I took out all of the luggage and bags from the laundry room. We were hoping/expecting to find evidence of a nest, but there wasn't any such thing. So then we pulled out the washing machine and found a hole in the floor big enough to put a baseball through. So after stuffing it tight with steel wool, we put out some cereal and crackers on the floor, to see if he was still getting in. It's still there and understurbed this morning, so that's a good sign. It would be fabulous if that is the end of it.

As a bonus...I think that perhaps stuffing that hole may keep out the jumpy bugs!!!

Flying by

I can't believe Tuesday is over already! This week is zipping by. Of course, it helps having my days chalked full of things to do.
Monday was babysitting from 7am until time for work. Then work until 8:30. Then a conference until 9:15, then piano playing at church...eventually I went to bed.
Tuesday was get up (but I don't wanna!) and go to work by 10:30 (ahhhhh it's so early!!!) then work, work, work all day until 8:30. Then I came home and finished a puzzle with Cam.

And now I am lying on the couch listening to the rain. I love rain. :)

Rain

Wow. This is from an acquaintance of mine's blog. I really love when it rains and this post does a good job of expressing that.

Rain is my favorite natural phenomenon. No matter the mood I'm in, rain seems to bring peace to my soul. It brings clarity when I'm confused or frustrated, and peace when I'm sad, or distraught. Happiness seems sweeter when rain is falling, joy feels complete. When I feel helpless or hopeless, rain reminds me that God is faithful to bring life. It's smell is beautiful, and it's sound soothing. I love rain!

Rain reminds me that no matter how in control one may feel about life, God directs the rain outside of our control. A couple can spend their entire life building a their dream house. Millions of hard earned dollars, billions of drops of sweat, and probably many marital arguments later their house is finished. Then one strong rain can completely wash it all away. On the flip side one good rain can turn poor dirt farmer into a successful agricultural entrepreneur. Rain is powerful, it's soft, it's sometimes quiet, sometimes thunderous. Rain is a widow into the heart of God that I long to understand. But simply for now it's falling, and it's beautiful.

much love

.::zack

A little silliness

Like this???

















I mean, like this???


















Or there's always the classic...

Plan B

He's still out there, so we're going to plan B.
Any suggestions?

Saturday

Yesterday, Ben and Keri came over from Knoxville so we could look at their wedding picture proofs. They turned out fabulously well. I think that the wedding was the first time in 5+ years that we have had a family portrait.

We had a great time visiting and played this great new card game called In a Pickle.
They also brought their cat, Tex, with them. It was so great to see them, they are really doing well. When asked what the biggest adjustment was, Keri said it was hard getting use to someone else sleeping in the bed with her (her first 5 nights she needed a sleeping pill). Of course Ben had no such problem. He could sleep through a train wreck!!!

It is so nice to have Keri for a sister-in-law. I don't think Ben could have chosen better. And I am very glad that they are living so nearby. We are making plans to see Aida in November. Which is great because Keri has not had much exposure to theatre...yet. ;)

Happy Birthday, April!!!

Today my friend/coworker/landlady had her birthday. We went down to her parents house to celebrate and ate some fabulous food. Then we adjourned to the lawn and played a few games of croquet, all of which Dana won. :)

Still at large

Horace is still at large. Tonight I Googled "how to kill a rat" and got a little help. Now there is ham tied to the larger traps instead of peanutbutter. If he's not gone by morning then we'll have to change our strategy.

To catch a rat

This morning I was horrified to hear a mouse running on the floor inbetween the head of my bed (my matress sits on the floor) and the wall. I turned on the light and saw it run back the other way, only, horror of horrors, it wasn't a mouse at all: it was a rat!!! Of course I went screaming and dancing into the living room, where a few minutes later my roommate asked what was it.

After a trip to Wal-Mart my room is now a mine field. I have 9 traps set up with several more spread throughout the house. I am not sleeping in my room until I've caught it and any of his friends who might be around.

By the way, I named him Horace.

Bored??? Heck no! (He's right)

One of my roommates made the comment that I must have been bored. (They just spent the past few days in Colorado visiting their respective families and friends). But the truth is, I wasn't; not even for a minute. On Saturday I talked to one of my friends on the phone for 30 minutes, but other than that I never set foot outside or saw another living soul. And I had a perfectly wonderful day. I genuinely enjoy time by myself and am capable of entertaing myself and accomplishing things I need to do. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean my room is clean, but the fridge is and I mopped.
No, I had a perfectly lovely holiday at home last week.
(Maybe Scotty is right, I could be a nun!)

A ramble

*sigh* I love Breakfast at Tiffany's. I always cry at the last scene when Holly Golightly is in the alley searching for Cat in the pouring rain. Poor Cat.

This afternoon when I came home from church, as I walked into the kitchen I thought to myself..."Hmm, what is that sound? Did I leave the shower running?" I quickly looked around to see if water was pouring out from anywhere it shouldn't be, and wouldn't you know, there was a nice puddle of water to the side of the fridge. (Well, we don't use much ice anyhow.)
Turning off the valve to the fridge and laying a large rag on the floor took care of that problem for the time being. I'm just glad it wasn't something really major with 6 inches of water everywhere!

A missionary from Guatemala spoke at church today. It just reminded me how very different life (especially Christian life) is in most other places. We as 21st century Americans really have no idea what it means to suffer and fight to live, or the reality of facing death for what you believe.
But the encouraging thing is that God is the same here as He is everywhere else in the world. He doesn't change.

"What are men to rocks and mountains?"

Oh, they are having a great time!