This time I made an under-bed storage box instead of buying one.
I had to get rid of this box anyway, so half of it got recycled and half got reused for a new purpose. I cut it down from 8 inches to 5 so it would fit under our bed frame. Now I have a place to put my sweatpants and winter pajamas while it is 100 degrees outside.
(This isn't really part 2, because I've posted more than twice on this topic. Someday I'll have to go back and find all the blogs about them and make links to them.) In the mean time, here's my latest: a new lid for my big plastic all purpose bowl (whose lid got melted on the stove many years ago). I reused some of the plastic that a mattress was wrapped in.
Here's a link to the real version of this item, which is too small for this large bowl. And while researching that I found a site that said you could get 100 disposable shower caps for $2 which work wonderfully for this use. I may have to try to find a box of those at a beauty supply store.
When I can't remember where I put something, the only solution is to think, "Now where would I have put it if I had it to do over again?" Often this logical approach works, even if I can't actually remember doing it the first time.
Has anyone else noticed how iGoogle has become slow, slow, slow? I got fed up with it and no longer use it for my home page. I liked it before because you can have lots of nifty things on it, but it has gotten too slow to reload and it was making me mad.
The Pijin Bible was dedicated in Honiara, Solomon Islands on July 7, 2008. That date was the 30th anniversary of independence.
We worked in the Solomons so many years ago it seems like it was in a previous life. We went there first in 1976 at the age of about 23 where we did language survey work that was also part of Gary's research toward his Ph.D. We returned in 1979 to begin translation work on the island of Malaita. Andrew was 9 months old at the time. Rachel was bred and born on Malaita, and I was pregnant with David when we returned to life in the USA at the end of 1983. Only once since then were we able to make a short visit back, in 1987, I believe.
We were advisers for several language projects on the island, including Lau and To'abaita. The Lau project was taken up by another team and the NT was published in 1992. The Solomon Islander who worked most closely with us on the Lau project was Aloysius Jack. Why am I telling you all of this? Because Jack went on to also be involved in Pijin translation, and that fact brings us great joy and satisfaction.
Here is a link to photos of the dedication ceremony. Photo #9 shows Jack with the boxes of Bibles. He and two others received the Solomon Islands Medal to honor their work in bringing the translation to completion. Also, here is a link to a press release about the dedication.
We rented a car to use while we were in Seattle for David's wedding. I think this is the only photo I got showing the minivan, parked here in front of the house we stayed in. A minivan costs twice as much to rent as a little car, but with the number of people we had to get from A to B on numerous occasions, and how few of those people were drivers, we decided to go for the minivan rental. It was pricey, but worth it.
I hate driving. I hate driving anywhere, but I especially hate driving when I don't know where I am or how to get to where I'm going. I hate when people rattle off directions followed by "you can't miss it." I'm having to learn to deal with the fact that under those circumstances, I almost always do miss it. And that is embarrassing when the car is full of people who intimidate me, even if they are non-drivers.
Having gotten that gripe off my chest, here is the rest I have to say about driving in and around Seattle. The bad things: the roads are curvy and hilly, the signs are purposely small and hard to see (some of the suburbs must have signage laws), gas was expensive, traffic can be bad, and the house numbering system was logical but cumbersome. The good things: the HOV lanes on the freeway are organized in a fashion much more sensible than the ones here in Dallas and my friend Janet made more than one trip to SEA airport that I was supposed to make.
The cable guy was just here and installed a new cable modem for our internet service. We used to be 7 and now we are 10. 7 and 10 what, I don't really know. Nor do I know if that will make any difference in reality. But 10 sounds a lot faster than 7.
Don't throw those wilted roses away. Instead, pluck off the petals so kitty can enjoy her bowl of water like a princess.
Yes, sometimes I do get carried away with the idea that I need to use everything at least twice before I throw it away. But wouldn't you say I did a pretty good job of reusing stuff when I made myself a matching purse and Gary a tie with the fabric I cut off to shorten my dress for David's wedding??
I've always thought that abortion was killing a human being and I've always thought that life begins at conception. I base my thoughts on science--the fact that at the moment of conception there is a qualitative difference in the state of affairs as compared to the state of affairs the moment prior to conception.
But this post isn't about thoughts, its about feelings. And I just want to say that as I hold my "perfect" granddaughter, I feel that abortion is wrong. She is so alive.
And so were the 3500+ babies that were aborted yesterday in our country, to say nothing of the others around the world (one source puts that number at 115,000 per day worldwide).
Wow, it seems like I've abandoned this blog, it has been so long since I've posted. I have been posting quite a bit on my family blog, since that seems like the best place to talk about all the family things we've had going on and to spew out all my cute baby photos. Last night I dusted off my minimal movie-making skills and used Windows Movie Maker to make a movie of Isabella and grandpa--less than 2 minutes, if you want to check it out on YouTube.
I am quite enjoying being a grandma. It is lots easier than being a parent, especially when it comes to sleep. The pain has long since been forgotten, but I have a favorite story I repeat--probably too often--about how I didn't get a full night of sleep for seven years, due to the fact that I was either pregnant or nursing.
In other news, soon I'll write a post about the publication and dedication of the Pijin Bible--the whole Bible. That recently happened and brings us lots of joy and good memories of the days when we were working in the Solomon Islands during the early '80s. God is faithful and it is a joy to see the fruit of one's work decades later, even from a distance.
I also made notes while in Washington about driving in Seattle--ugh, I hate driving! Maybe that will turn into a blog, too.
In some ways I feel like I might be on the cusp of some changes in my daily life. Maybe it is just that my interests have been changing some in the past year, and having so many family things going is a catalyst to make that a reality.
Enough blather--I need to go mop the kitchen floor. And vacuum the house. And balance the check book. And write thank you notes. And, and, and.
It is official--there are four generations living in my house at the moment. Maybe later we can get a photo documenting that fact.
We've just gotten home safely from the hospital--discharging was a lengthy process--and now the new family is trying to get settled. Their small end of the house might work for two people, but now there are four living there--mom, dad, baby, and maternal grandmother.
I've made Isabella a bilingual Birth day cake--that will probably show up in tomorrow's photos.
Lord, get them off to a good start as a little family.
The other grandmother has arrived from the Dominican Republic, and now we all await baby's arrival. Since baby has shown no signs of wanting to leave her warm abode, the doctor is taking measures, starting tonight, to make her move on out. If all goes as planned, she should make her arrival tomorrow afternoon or evening.
Please pray with us for a safe delivery. And safe driving for me as I go back and forth tomorrow to the hospital which is 22 miles away.
I brought Grandma Miguelina home and embarrassed myself with my faltering Spanish, but she seems not to mind. I asked her if she would like lunch before we left for the hospital at 7am. She replied, "you mean breakfast??" My Spanish is very rusty!
I know you've been wondering why no new posts from me lately. Or, maybe not. In any case, I've been busy marrying off my youngest child. We've been in Seattle for the better part of a week to accomplish that feat. Lots of family time, eating, and meeting our son's new in-laws. Tomorrow, maybe a little sightseeing.
On my family blog I've posted links to four online photo albums which I'm made to document this event. So have a look if you don't have anything better to do.
OK, you don't have to listen to all of this music video, but it is the song that came to mind today as Rachel and I were having a weird experience.
Today was Rachel's payday, so we decided to go out this afternoon to do some errands together, one of which was picking up her paycheck and taking it to the bank to deposit along with some other checks she had in hand. She made out the deposit slip, laid it down on the floor of the car and off we went on our errands. We went to Cox Farms, we went to the Dollar Store, we went to the post office. Then we went to the bank.
But then she didn't have a pen, so we had to ask for one while sitting at the bank drive-through. Pen in hand, then she tried to find her check to add it to the deposit slip and we couldn't find it. She was getting frustrated because it was gone, to say nothing of the fact that we were holding up the drive-thru line. Then her phone rang. It was a total stranger saying she had Rachel's check. Apparently it had fallen out of the car at the store and some sweet old lady picked it up and contacted Rachel. So we rushed over to the store again, and realized: how did she know Rachel's phone number?? I said to Rachel as we drove, "God is watching over you." She went inside the store and found the little old lady with her check.
Turns out this lady called information and got our house phone number, and Andrew just happened to be on our side of the house to hear and answer the phone and gave the lady Rachel's cell number. When the lady gave Rachel the check she said, "God must love you a lot to watch over you like this." Rachel replied, "Yeah, my mom just said that too."
So, it the space of maybe 15 to 20 minutes her check was lost, and found, and deposited, and we were reminded that God is watching over Rachel. As always.
I've been told that my biggest personal failing in life is my inability to apologize when I do something wrong. Instead of apologize, I deal with the situation by putting it behind me and trying to "do better" in the area where I failed. Usually that works, because I don't feel I have many terminally broken relationships in my life. But still, it is true: I admit I have a hard time apologizing.
Right now I'm personally going through a situation where I wish someone would apologize to me. I'm not going to say who or why, but deep inside I hurt and feel like that hurt won't go away unless that person would personally apologize to me.
However, I'm not stupid or blind, and I'm pretty certain that this person is NOT going to apologize to me, ever. Very likely, the person has no idea of the pain I'm feeling. And even if they did know, they wouldn't likely feel any obligation to do anything about it.
So, I guess I'm left in a position that I've often put others in.
Let's hope my hurt isn't entirely wasted.
Proverbs 20:31 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.
Well, maybe not washing, but at least ironing. Word on the street is you can't get into Kenya (that is, you can't pay for your visitor's visa) without a crisp $50 bill.
