It's Friday

Well, another work week is coming to an end. We had a house guest Monday afternoon through Friday early morning, but she's an old friend who basically takes care of herself, so she was no trouble.

Rachel has started looking for a real job, but it doesn't seem like she's gotten very far. She applied for a teacher's aide job at one of the public schools, and filled in a general application on a teacher website. She's now starting to look at local private schools and preschools.



Gary had a work visitor here for two days, who is also a friend, and he will head out for home (Toronto) soon. Besides taking us out to eat at Ton's Mongolian BBQ last night, he brought us a couple nice gifts--now I just need to make waffles.

I just phoned David, he's on his way to Dallas from Houston, after taking exams this morning. He is only here a couple days before leaving for Ethiopia on Tuesday. It will be odd with two out of three kids away for Christmas; I guess this is just another sign of getting old.

We continue to have heating issues. A few blogs ago I told about getting a new gas tank. Apparently the pressure in the new one is different than the old one, and the new, expensive furnace is having trouble coping. A technician was here two hours yesterday afternoon, and now they're here again at the moment. It is cold here, but not life-threatening cold.

Our Sunday school class is having a Christmas party tonight. On Sunday morning the church choir, of which Gary and Rachel are members, will put on a special program. After that we have plans to go to Panera Bread for lunch, then have our "family Christmas" before David leaves. Seems way too early to be opening gifts, but it doesn't look like there will be too many to open anyway. As Gary says, "Those kids are getting too big for Christmas."

He sounds like a scrooge sometimes, but he will happily acknowledge that our anniversary is also Dec 25--30 years' worth.

You Read it Here First

Today the New York Times finally caught up with me. (Here's a link to the same article in a paper you don't have to register to read.)

Fondue Party

Last night we had a fun little dinner party featuring a blast from the past--anybody remember fondue? This was the oil type (as opposed to cheese or chocolate) where each person cooks their own pieces of marinated beef, then dips them in various sauces before eating. We also fondued red potatoes (partially precooked) and they were good too. Martha brought a salad and we also had the rest of the rolls I bought at the church bake sale.

The Christmas Jello for dessert was Rachel's idea, which isn't to say that she actually made it. But really, she couldn't, because she was busy taking her Texas teacher test yesterday. This dinner, and watching the Narnia movie afterwards, was to celebrate Rachel finishing this test. It will be a couple weeks before she finds out her results.

Baby, It's Cold Outside--Updated

I know I've spent time on this blog complaining about how hot it is here in Dallas. But today, my complaint is the opposite. Yesterday afternoon we started getting precipitation known as "winter mix" or "ice pellets." I had to take Gary to the airport, but made it there and back safely. By 5pm it was a bit worse, but Rachel went to her friend's house anyway. By 9pm she decided it was too bad to risk driving home, so she spent the night. When she arrived back this morning, she wished she had stayed longer.

As the evening went on, I started getting mad at the furnace. I kept turning the thermostat up, but it didn't seem to be getting much warmer. We had earlier had problems with the thermostat, so I assumed that was the problem. I cuddled up with extra blankets (where's Gary when I need him?) and went to sleep.

This morning, the house temperature was 59 though the thermostat was set at 69. As I snuggled by the space heater, it occurred to me that the propane tank might be empty. I got up, took a hot shower (draining all the hot water) and then put on layers of clothes while my skin was still warm. I went outside, and found this:

So I called the propane company--along with hundreds of other folks in the metroplex who are having heating issues--and they said "sometime" today they will come. Actually, they were already planning to change out the big tank for a smaller one, and were waiting for the level of propane to go down before switching it out. Well, it should be plenty light now, since it is empty.

So I'm trying to figure out ways to keep warm today. Along with a very large cup of hot tea, I started out by making a bowl of Ma Hoyt's Power Oatmeal, recipe cut and pasted below (minus her nice formatting):

MA's Power Oatmeal


* pour water in pan to boil, add salt, maple flavoring and cinnamon
* peel, and chop one half an apple, add to water
* Only use long cooking oats-they pack more punch
* Put in more oats than they say, so you don't end up with a wimpy thin mixture
* When desired doneness is achieved (I always undercook it, 'cause I like some "meat" to my oatmeal) transfer cooked product to bowl
* add brown sugar, walnuts, slivered almonds or pecans. I use walnuts since they are cheaper...
* add milk with fat content of your choice. I use 2%, because life's too short for skim or 1%.

UPDATE

Here it is only 3pm and they've already come and replaced the tank, refilled it, and relit the pilot lights. Yay!

Christmas Party

Tonight we had a Christmas dinner and party with our weekly Bible study group from church. My original plan was for a white plastic table cloth, but I learned the hard way that it does not work to put such an item into the dryer to remove the wrinkles. So I went to plan B and had two tables of contrasting colors.


We started with Bible reading and communion, then enjoyed a lovely meal together. After that we did the white elephant gift game. It seems like each year the rules to that game get more and more complicated - this year we had to lead the group in a Christmas carol before we were allowed to open a gift.

In other news, Rachel got laid off her job yesterday. It wasn't too much of a shock since we expected the job to end around the end of the year anyway, but it does mean she needs to start looking for a "real" job now. Pray with us about that, if the Lord brings her to mind. Also, her big Texas teacher test is this coming Saturday.

Gary is off to Michigan tomorrow for a couple days of consulting at Eastern Michigan University. I hope he doesn't freeze to death.

Nursery

Our church nursery was getting desperate for help, so Rachel and I volunteered to join the roster for the first Sunday of each month. This may be the closest I get to grandkids for some time :-(



The three kids we took care of today were happy kids, if all with runny noses and one with a load in his diaper. The two boys were the cuddly type, while the little girl seemed pretty independent.

These are the things I learned today:

• The plethera of Fisher-Price toys come in second to shoes, blankets, and other babies when it comes to keeping one-year-olds profitably occupied.
• That being said, toys work better after being licked, sucked, and chewed.
• Goldfish solve many of life's problems for babies and their caregivers.
• Don't wear dangle earrings when working in the nursery.
• And, "Mom, this is called seriation."

My baby may pass that teacher test yet.

Impact Library

We are very happy to have another librarian in the family--our new daughter-in-law, Laura. Since going to Ethiopia only a few short months ago, she and an Ethiopian woman have organized an NGO (non-governmental organization) to start a children's library. The official opening of Impact Library was about a week ago, in spite of the fact that the shelves aren't quite full yet.

UNESCO provided funding for audio visual equipment, and were on hand to take photos at the grand opening. Here is a link to their write up of the event. She told me the children in the photo are from a local orphanage and were very excited about all the books.

But that isn't all--Laura has already talked Random House into donating 220 children's books for this library. Only problem with that, is the books are now sitting in my house, waiting for a donation of shipping to transport them to Addis Ababa.









They continue to look for funding to support this library, so if you know anybody needing a good cause to donate to...

Trimming the Tree

I have figured out quite a good system for getting the Christmas tree set up--get somebody else to do it for me.


They picked out a very nice Noble Fir which Rachel thought was much more deserving than the cheaper Douglas Fir. With a little help from the cat, Rachel chose which of her greatgrandma's crocheted ornaments would find favor this year.

Every tree needs an angel on top. The angel on our tree is named "Daivd," forever making fun of the childcare worker who could not spell.

Blind Paper

Did you ever wonder what braile scrap paper looks like?

Angioedema

Today poor Gary discovered the technical term for the weird swelling he keeps getting--angioedema. It is like hives, but under the skin instead of on top of it. It shows up on his feet where it is painful, and hands, and lips, and throat. It is caused by allergies, but we don't know what he is allergic to. Current possible culprits: aspirin, salicylates, pork, preservatives in certain things.

Maybe by the time David gets his long white coat, we'll have it figured out.

Guns

Rachel got home from her trip to Kansas safely last night. She came home spouting an entire new set of gun vocabulary and these photos to prove she knew what she was talking about. Her best line: Mom, I shot a revolver; it was so cool--it revolves!



In other news, the missing bubble gum has been found: seven partial pieces were found inside the basket of Christmas music, each one etched with mice teeth marks.

Theology Books

While enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with our friends, I discovered they have found a good use for all those theology books--to hold up the bowl of creamed onions.

Sandra emailed early this morning to say the plane did not crash and she had gotten back to Donnbronn safely. David left for Houston midafternoon, and we are still awaiting Rachel's return.


In the meantime, I've pulled out the Christmas music which I enjoy so much. My favorite is this album by GLAD. Those guys can really sing.

Goodbye, Sandra

Somewhere near the end of her visit, we realized why Sandra really came to America--chocolate ice cream!


She treated us to a nice meal at Chili's before we took her to the airport today. She flew out of the new Terminal D at DFW airport which has only been open for business a short time. It is all new and modern, with lots of strange artwork inside. She flies back to Frankfurt and expects her dad to be there to pick her up and drive back to her "willage" (Sandra, you don't can say that!) in time for the annual Christmas market.

Lazy

Wow, I've been lazy today. Eat junk food, lay around, watch football (which I don't even like to do) and read.

I did manage to clean two bathrooms in 10 hours.

I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts.

Thanksgiving

We are thankful David made it home safely from Houston last night. A bunch of his friends were here to greet him, including cute little Claire.



We took our pot of Texas Sesquicentenial Chili to Arlington and ate that along with a pot of minestrone and some fresh bread from La Madeleine Bakery. One of the cousins was a fluent German speaker, so Sandra chatted with him. We took our usual shot of the kids, but we're noticing they are getting fewer and older--what's up with that??




Then today I made green bean casserole (where's Rachel when I need her?) and off we went to eat with our friends the Sages. Unfortunately, Gary did not join us as he woke up with a fever. I did bring him a plate to eat during the Cowboys' game. Thanks, Jessica, for the invitation.

Pies

Every Thanksgiving our neighbor Jesse tries to bake more Thanksgiving pies than he baked the year before. This year he's got a bit of help from his siblings and Sandra who wants to learn how to make pies and take the recipe back to Germany. I'm thankful I get to eat some of these apple and pumpkin delights without having to do anything more than furnish a couple emptly pie pans.

Me, a Doctor?

I followed a link on someone's blog and took this online test. Funny, I always did want to be a doctor. But it wasn't in the cards for me, as they say. I always thought one of my boys would become a doctor, but it turned out to not be the one I suspected. The son who studied biology turned to economics as a graduate student, and the son who studied physics decided to become a doctor. As for me, my brains drained out when I had kids; what more can I say??

You Should Get a MD (Doctor of Medicine)

You're both compassionate and brilliant - a rare combination. You were born to be a doctor.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Is There Just One Right Person to Marry?, part II

My two unmarried children are both in dating relationships and have been spending some time thinking about "is she/he the right person to marry?" and "is there only one right person to marry?" I've already thought about this topic in a previous blog entry, but the topic has come to my mind again as I pray for my children and their relationships.

Currently, I'm thinking about this topic in terms of value. If, for instance, you are the only one for me, then I am going to value you greatly, be careful how I treat you, and make sure I don't lose you since you're irreplaceable. If, on the other hand, you are only 1 out of 100 whom I could marry, then your value is considerably less, maybe only 1/100. I can treat you with less care, because, if I lose you, it is only a minor and momentary loss--after all, there are 99 more waiting on my doorstep.

Rice

I have recently been educating myself about rice. We eat rice regularly, but I did not grow up eating rice. In fact, I used to think I hated rice, but that was because I had only every eaten it in this nasty dish as a child. Yuck! I grew up in a meat-and-potatoes culture where rice was nearly unheard of. I was well an adult before I really tasted rice as it was meant to be eaten--without sugar!

Many times my rice turned out sticky and gummy. Then I tried a bag of basmati rice, and it turned out to be a lot easier to cook. It smells different than other rice, and even I can cook it almost to perfection every time. I recently tried another variety, jasmine, but it turned out too sticky again. That made me curious so I did some research and found this nice link to an explanation and photos of a number of different kinds of rice. Turns out the stickiness is more because of the type of rice than because of my cooking abilities.

I guess this blog entry is a bit late; last year was the International Year of Rice.

Daughter #2 Returns

We had quite a surprise today. Our first exchange student daughter, Sandra, showed up in Dallas for a nine day visit. She had made the arrangements with a friend of ours so she could surprise us. We are very excited to have her here. She came at a good time because she will be able to see David when he is home for Thanksgiving next week.

Sandra lived with us during the 99-00 school year when Rachel was a senior, David was a junior, and she was a sophomore. The second exchange student daughter we had live with us, Doro, was here during the 03-04 school year.

Sandra remembers her favorite store, Clothestyme, but I'm not sure they are still in business. Sandra will be with us until November 26, so that will give us some time to try to find it.

Personal Watermelon

I thought watermelons were supposed to be bigger than cantelopes.

Correction

I got a call from a faithful blog reader (I have at least one) today, saying, "Yeah, I know that song--Jesu Azali Awa--that you wrote about in your blog. I listened to it on the way to work today." And I thought no one had even heard of it. Sure enough, a popular Christian singing group called Selah has it out on one of their CD's. Here are all the words. Turns out I also had the language wrong. The language the song is written in is called Lingala, spoken in Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly called the Belgian Congo.

A Grand Adventure

Today was the conclusion of our church's two weeks of missions emphasis. We are fortunate to have a pastor who is both missionary kid and former missionary before he became a pastor. We often enjoy his stories of life in Romania. He mentioned how many people are afraid to answer God's call of "Whom shall I send?" because they are afraid of what they are getting themsleves into. "At one point, I was afraid to ride the train from Germany to Amsterdam. And indeed, the first time we did that, we got on the wrong train. But, we survived. Life is an adventure." He pointed out that we often do things without really knowing what we are getting into--like getting married and having kids, for starters.

Annual Day of Prayer

There were three or four hundred of us, I guess. Mostly dressed in the boutique's best, not much to look at. Lots of white hair, but a few babies too. Mostly married folks, but a few singles too. The pews were piled higher and deeper with advanced degrees. The best part was we sound great as a choir in the round. At one point, the song leader said, "We're going to sing a song in Mboke. It will be new to most of you." So we sang

Jesu azali awa,
Jesu azali awa,
Jesu azali awa na biso.
Aleluia ah aleluia na Jesu.

I didn't return to the meeting after lunch. Instead, Rachel and I went for a hike on the MK Trace. It really isn't that beautiful of a place, but in Dallas, we can't be too fussy.



And at the highest spot, there is a nice view of Joe Pool lake.



Rachel had no plans tonight, so we decided it was time for another cooking lesson. She made quiche, spilling only a little in the bottom of the oven. I'm not sure, but I think she might be calling me an oaf.


And she's been wanting to try making cheese biscuits since having them at Red Lobster.

Farewell, Stella

Today we had lunch at my favorite place, (Ton's) with Stella and her mom to say farewell to Stella who is taking a job at Methodist Children's Home in Waco, TX. We want to wish Stella the best as she starts a job as Youth Care Counselor. Our prayers will be with her in what will no doubt be a challenging job.

New Computer

No, not for me, for grandma. My mom phoned last night and asked me to buy her a new computer. "Buy it" in the sense that I would order it, but with her credit card. So I did. In a couple days, she should be the proud new owner of a Dell Desktop with a flat panel monitor. Rachel's comment: "Yay, a new computer to play games on at Christmas."

The Wave

Have you ever been to a professional baseball game where the fans did the wave? You know, a rowdy bunch in the outfield bleachers gets bored with the game so they get all the folks in that section to stand up, wave their arms, and yell. Then just as they are finishing, the next section does the same thing, and so on. If the fans are willing, this process can go all the way around the stadium, and then start again. It is fun to watch this phenomenon, and fun to participate in too.

I started thinking about the wave in church today. No, I wasn't daydreaming about baseball. the song we were singing, He Reigns, got me to thinking how believers all around the globe raise their hands and voices in praise to our savior every Sunday morning.

• As the sun rises in Fiji, the believers gather and praise God.
• Then an hour later Solomon Islanders pick up the refrain.
• Then Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Japan
• Indonesia, Philippines, Korea
• Malaysia and a few in Vietnam and China
• Yes, praises from Thailand, Burma, and Mongolia.
• India, Nepal, Tibet
• Pakistan. The song is faint, but still audible from Afghanistan
• Madagascar and Iran
• It gets louder: Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Turkey and Russia
• South Africa, Zaire, Romania, and Sweden
• Cameroon, Italy, France, Germany
• Ivory Coast, Mali (don't forget Timbuktu), Spain, Ireland
• This time zone is sparse--Senegal, Canary Islands, and Iceland
• Brazil joins in
• Uruguay, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago
• Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Quebec
• Peru, Panama, Indianapolis and Toronto
• Then it is my turn, joined by Mexico and Winnipeg
• Next it goes to Grandma and Grandpa in Phoenix, Calgary
• San Francisco and Vancouver
• Gambier Islands and Juneau
• Tahiti and Honolulu lift their hands and voices
• Lord, do you hear them in Samoa?
• And look! The Fijians are starting over again, even though it is Monday.

"New" Chair

I got a small wooden rocking chair out of the free furniture co-op for David when he was furnishing his new condo, but he rejected it because it was too ugly. It was pretty ugly, pink and green with ivy painted across the top. But Rachel could see beyond the ugly, and claimed it for her own, insisting all it needed was some paint.


Last night at 9pm I decided to sew a cushion for this chair. 23 hours later I had finished it (no, not 23 continuous hours of work. I did sleep, go shopping, do three loads of laundry, make lunch and a few other things too). The fabric came from the free boutique and the stuffing for the cushion came from recycling some old throw pillows also from the boutique.

So now Rachel has a new chair, only for the price of a quart of paint.

Voting on Marriage

I went out to lunch to day at Olive Garden with a number of ladies from my office--eating and talking, and not having to cook--now's that's the life! I got a rather large item, just so I could bring a bunch home to feed to Gary tonight. Then I don't have to cook twice!

On the way home I stopped by the public library to vote. They've upgraded the voting machines to these handy-dandy touch screen things, easy to use with nice bright colors (although I expect the print was too small for some folks). Most of the propositions I couldn't make heads nor tails of, though I did do my homework and read an online ballot before voting.

I voted to define marriage in Texas as between one man and one woman. Like, duh! I don't consider that an act of social conservative protest. I just consider it a way to say that I don't like people redefining perfectly good words like marriage. If homosexual unions need some kind of legal protection (and I'm not saying they do), then they need to call them something other than marriage. As a linguist, I certainly know that the meanings of words do change over time, but the gradual, natural evoution of semantics does not happen because a minority group legislates it to be so.

Is There Just One Right Person to Marry?

After the wedding reception we hosted for my son and his new beautiful bride last August, an old friend asked me, "Do you still think there is just one right person for everyone?" I paused, then said, "I used to think so, and I'd still like to think so, but that position isn't logically defensible."

My husband never did think this way, and it used to kind of make me mad. I wanted him to think I was the one and only person for him. After 20+ years of marriage, he wrote me a song, "You're The Only One For Me." How can I be mad at someone who sings to me??

Sometimes I read blogs of random people, and I found this post on the site of a young man who at one time attended LeTourneau University. He's a decent writer, but I don't even know if he is a believer. He wrote:

For a long time I labored under the idea that there were dozens, perhaps hundreds of women that I could end up with and live my life with and be happy with. I'm starting to change my mind. As my marriage enters its third month, I'm constantly reminded how wonderful a person my wife is. She seems to be the perfect choice for me. Beautiful, fun, smart and a great cook. I don't see how there could ever be anyone else this perfect for me. She's the one and only. And I'm hers. How awesome is that?

(Freakin' awesome, that's what it is!)

My daughter recently asked me the same question. She said, "I guess there could be more than one person, but somehow it just doesn't feel that way." I still think logically there must be more than one person you could marry, but emotionally, we all want to think we are a unique shape that fits into someone else's unique shape.

More Humble Pie

I don't usually post twice in one day--I mean, don't I have anything else to do??

But now I just have to say that since I wrote the previous post, someone came to my house and gave me $xxx.xx with a note saying, "Because God told me to, and because I want to."

Thank you, Lord.

You Can't Talk About Money, It Isn't Polite

I'm feeling humbled today.

When Gary and I were newlyweds, we were dirt poor. We lived on a stipend that he was getting from Cornell University and my babysitting job. I had not quite finished college when we got married, so I was attempting to complete my last semester by correspondence classes. One day in the spring I had just completed a paper for one of my classes and we wanted to go celebrate. So we did. We had just enough money for one hamburger and one coke at McDonald's, which we shared. We knew that the next day was payday, so we would have $0 to our name for less than 24 hours. We look back at that time as "the poorest we ever were" and laugh about it, and sometimes repeat the story to struggling newlyweds.

Well, I was remembering that story this last week, because we were totally out of money. Our income, like many missionaries, fluctuates each month according to what our donors happen to have sent in during the previous month. (Sometimes, we have "extra" money because Gary moonlights as a computer/linguistics consultant, but he hasn't had any of those jobs in many months.) Anyway, without going into any more of the gory details,** we found that the month was longer than the money and I was kind of fretting about having a negative bank balance. I reminded myself, as I often do, that God will supply our needs, as He has done for the 30+ years we've been doing this. But still I was fretting, sad to say.

Then today I got an email saying "So-and-so has sent you a gift of $xxxx.xx from the sale of stocks. Look for this on your October 2005 statement" (as if we wouldn't notice a gift of that size). So, while it is entirely possible that my bank account will be overdrawn before next Monday when this gift is deposited (depending on the timing of certain direct debit bills), it looks like we'll have the funds to cover it. :-)

Thanks be to God. I'm writing this story to give testimony to the fact that God does, in fact, meet our needs.

**I know it isn't acceptable to discuss one's personal finances in public. In our society it is more acceptable to discuss one's sex life than one's finances. But I don't view my financial situation as a reflection of my worth as a person, or my worth as a worker, so I'm less concerned about that "rule" than other people. I hope this story doesn't embarrass you.

Labiodental Flap

Just in case there are any linguists reading this blog, I'd like to point out that one of my colleagues has gotten the International Phonetic Association to adopt a new phonetic symbol, named the labiodental flap, into the International Phonetic Alphabet. This special alphabet is used by linguists around the world to represent all the exotic sounds that the human mouth can make. Ken didn't invent this sound nor did he discover it. But he did research this sound and found it exists in 70 languages, most of which are in central Africa. A new phonetic symbol is kind of like having a baby, and everyone in the Linguistics department is proudly showing off this new addition.

BBQ

As you can see from the jackets, it was chilly, but it was nice to have one last BBQ of the season.

Updates from Africa

I got some new photos from Andrew and Laura this morning. Always nice to hear from them. Looks like they have found some furniture for their living room. Last time I saw a photo, it was a big bare room with nice floors.

I got emails from two African countries this morning--three from Ethiopia, and one from Uganda. David's girlfriend is living in Uganda for a year, teaching school under the auspices of the Mennonite Central Committee. Her email said she had gotten two proposals of marriage last week. I'd say David better get on the stick before it is too late!

Speaking of David, he's two-thirds through his first semester of medical school. But his challenge for today is repairing his broken washing machine. He called last night to say he had torn it apart (using the info I sent him a blog or two ago) and had to go buy a multitester to check the solenoids. When I offered to mail him an old voltmeter we have, he replied, "But I have to have a digital one." He always was the snooty kid in the family.

Self-paid Missionaries

Tonight at our weekly Bible study I met and interesting couple and learned a bit about them. They are part-time missionaries, in a very specific way. The husband is a CPA, and he works for some company in Ohio that prepares tax returns. He works for them 4 months of the year, during tax season. Then for 8 months of the year, he and his wife do financial work (internal audits, installing new financial software and training people to use it, etc.) for a mission board. Sometimes they go to Africa, sometimes to Dallas. They don't have any children, so that makes this lifestyle possible.

We know another couple who live in Dallas who does similar work. He is a police officer, she is a clothing designer. He uses his 4 weeks or more of vacation and go to various places to do financial work (he was an accountant before he decided to become a policeman) for missions. His wife goes a long and gives haircuts and perms while shopping for exotic fabrics for her clothing business. (She also makes custom wedding gowns and lets missionary girls wear them for only a $50 cleaning fee.)

It is Fall and Love is in the Air

Today we got an email from someone who is, shall we say, in the autumn of his life. Over a year ago his wife of around 50 years died. He has fallen in love again, and reports that, with his children's support, he is thinking of marrying a single (never married) lady who lives down the hall in the retirement center. It was just too cute.

He's not the only one--a couple months ago two 70 year olds, recently widowed, have married and are acting like 18-year olds.

These gentlemen know what is good for them.

Broken Washing Machine

I'm awaiting word from David to hear how his big test went today. This is the end of block 2, so his first semester of medical school is two-thirds finished.

In the break before block 3 begins, he needs to try to repair his broken washing machine. He called me for advice the other day, but the best I could do was scan eight pages from the indispensable homeowner's bible and email them to him. Oh, I and told him that no, it wouldn't be a good idea to leave his wet clothes in the washer from Friday until he had time to do something about the washer on Tuesday. Ah, the joys of homeownership. I may need to buy a copy of this book for David for Christmas.

The leaves are starting to fall from our trees, making a mess on the deck I just worked so hard to refinish. I remembered that my mom had bought Gary a leaf blower last year for Christmas, so I got that puppy out and tried it. Wow! I had that deck spottless in no time. After that rousing success, I just couldn't resist the temptation to try it on my kitchen floor. Luckily, no one was home to observe how that went.

Finished

It took a full two weeks, but today we finished the deck refinishing project. I spent most of the afternoon working on it, and Gary joined me to do the second picnic table while I cleaned up the mess. It took two gallons of stuff--not paint, but Behr Premium Weatherproofing, Natural Clear color. The weather has remained pleasant, so maybe we can barbecue on the new deck before it gets cold.

We watched the first game of the World Series tonight with a couple of Rachel's friends. She made Puppy Chow for us to munch on. But you can't eat much of that at once, or at least you shouldn't.

I called David just as the game was getting started. He was too busy studying for a big test on Monday to watch.

How Many Coincidences Does It Take

...to make a miracle?

Miss Rachel, the Texas Teacher

Rachel's one-year Texas teacher certificate arrived today, squashed into the mailbox along the "Do Not Bend" stamp. It was signed by a familiar name: Anette Griffen was the principal at Duncanville HS when Rachel was in 9th grade. Rachel has collected the information she needs to start preparing for the two tests she needs to take and pass over the next year to get her permanent certificate. Your prayers along that line would be appreciated.

I also went to the Boutique mircowave "sale" this morning, only to learn it was yesterday morning. They still had one that fit my specifications: small, working, and free. So now I have a "new" microwave to replace my other used one, one that fits onto my countertop a bit better.

Gary's Back

Gary got home tonight in time to watch the last inning of the baseball game, Houston beating St. Louis. So David now gets to be in a World Series town.

I painted a few more boards on the deck today, while fixing a nice dinner for a couple of Rachel's hungry friends. I've run out of stuff, so I'll visit Home Depot tomorrow. Someday I'm going to finish this project.

Today I got bit by a mosquito on my arm, about one centimeter from where I got my flu shot yesterday. I bet that mosquito is either dead or well-immunized.

Snoopy Bandaid

Today I had my fall flu shot. $15, including a Snoopy bandaid. I made Rachel come and get one too. By the time we walked there she was white and saying she was seeing "black and white spots." She got the shot, then said she wanted to throw up, and the nurse sweetly asked her to lie down on the floor. After a few minutes her color came back and she was OK. On our way back to the office she said she now understood what it meant when people say, "It's all in your head" and how fear can make you sick.

Other activities for the day: grocery shopping, more work on the deck, and going to a birthday party. I should clean my kitchen, but I'm tired. No doubt if I leave it, it will still be a mess in the morning.