Crazy to be Me's Weblog

Gonna list stuff today – mention as they come to mind.

1. Church was amazing!  First we got the kids to church at 8 AM.  As with many parished, the early service is not used to teens at that hour – so we were noticed. 

The sermon was about miracles and why they happen and or maybe don’t and why some prayers are answered and what happens if our prayers are not answered and many other things.  With some of the things our kids are dealing with in their familes right now, this hit hard.  I went up for laying on of hand with two of the youth – and a bunch of the folks from the church  came up and there were many hands, quite a few tears and so much love it was hard to take.

These people were amazing.  So welcoming, that it was overwhelming.  They kept commenting about how wonderful the kids were (they really were). 

2. Driving up to Hurricane Ridge, 17 miles and approx 5200+ foot elevation gain, we were passing a cyclist on his way up.  He was walking, bare foot and walking his bike.  I immediately pulled over (I was sure he wasn’t hiding any consealed weapons in his bike outfit).  He had two flat tires and his team didn’t realize he was left behind so he was walking.  He’d been walking for about an hour and no one had stopped!  I still don’t understand that!  So we gave Misha a ride up, found his friends and left him with them – they had spare tubes. 

Maybe I stopped because I’m a cyclist?  But no one stiopped for an hour!?!  He had blisters on his feet from walking.  He was so thankful.  Maybe it was my paying the kindness we’d received in the morning.  I just could not leave him.

3. After picking Misha up, we then saw a bear scrambling up a hill – I was thankful he was in the car with us.  He commented that might have been a good thing he was with us.

So we saw the bear, a bunch of deer (separately thus not a herd), chipmunk, mountain goat, a hawk we think.  So, lots of wild animals.

4.  Pretty yummy mexican food for din.  Tomorrow we head to Winthrop via Whidbey Island and the North Cascades Highway.

So, Day 3 is complete.  We are safe and sound in Sequim (pronounced Squim).  Tomorrow, church at 8AM – I tell ya, these yutes and younger grups are troopers!!  Then we’ll go up to Hurricane Ridge.

I’m happy that the kids seem to be having a great time.  We mix up who is in which van by drawing lots (as it were).  They are handling it ok – we don’t want cliques to form.

Yesterday, I was riding with B and I started being, well, myself – which at times is pretty darned goofy.  Then I confessed to B that one of the reasons I love traveling with C&D is that they already KNOW I’m crazy.  By working with different adults in the church, well, they are learning my secret.  I said “So B, I’m going to have to kill you .”  He gave a rather hearty laugh – I think I caought him off guard.  His daughter was on the first trip our church did.  But I’m still going to have to kill him – too many people are learning this about me – it must stop.  Oh, and um, all of you reading this – yeah, you’re next!

Anyhow, we gave the kids the option of going to the Hoh (hey, who you callin’ oh never mind) the option of going to the Hoh Rain Forest.  If they didn’t want to go, we didn’t have to…  They all said, let’s go!  They had a blast!  We took a 2 or so mile hike to the rivers edge (yes, and 2 miles back).  There are pictures at graceontheroad.wordpress.com.  We were there about 30-45 minutes, skipping  rocks, throwing then across the river, watching “Leroy and Lunch” – miniature wild kingdom for real.

So, I miss my peeps and pets, but these kids are amazing.  They are growing each and every day - they are still goofy teens.  I see growth where some have said there can be none.  I still have faith – I always have.  We’ve had to use some claritan, benadryl, neosporin and bandaids – and yes, its just day 3.

Tomorrow – the ridge and some hiking, some quiet time in God’s creation – some more community time…  The mural is coming along – just remember, I am not responsible!  Miss home – but this little ppiece of home is very good!

sniff – she’s leaving… but she’ll be back.

Ya, the one in my car is broke!
Might be time for a new car sooner rather than later…

Do you even like coffee if you order a Misto (half drip coffee and half milk) and put six (6) Splendas in it and put vanilla powder on top?

I’m just saying…

This show is right up there with, well, I’m not sure – but OMG its so sad!  It is true stories of people doing their own renovations.  I just turned it on and two young women (20-somethings) are putting in a “breakfast bar” so they are cutting the studs.  Um, what!?!?

They seem to have found studs running horizontally in the wall.  ??  They did seem to know that this doesn’t really make sense.

They took a hammer and started banging away at the wal – broke thru and found a metal conduit.  Now, the camera view of the wall shows an electrical outlet at the bottom of the wall. Um, hello!!  So they see this “thing” and discuss or question “What’s that?” numerous times.  They decide to leave it.  The hammer is not working as well as they’d like, so they get out the saw-z-all.  They plug it in to the outlet, you know – at the base of the wall they are cutting in to…  Oh yeah!  Um, what?!? Still don’t know what that metal thing running up through the wall is?!?!

Um, now they are thinking about cutting down the supporting post – you know, the one holding the ceiling up!!  Thankfully, the decide otherwise.  I wonder if the crew said, “Ya, you really shouldn’t do that!”

Maybe they should have measured the space for the cabinets before buying them.  So now they are going to make cabinets! Oh yeah, that’ll work!

There is occasional editorial commentary.  Its very amusing.   “Someone should UNPLUG the saw!”  That was the commentary when they were cutting backer board and for some unknown reason, got a towel caught in the saw.  They decided to plug the towel, hand very near blade.  Luckily, all fingers still intact.

Anyhow – I’m going to watch the rest.  I recommend the show (on HGTV or DIY) if you want a laugh – kinda like “stupid do it yourselfers” file!  Scary part, these padies seem to be teachers.  I’m sure they are quite capable in their fields of expertise, I just really hope neither is a shop teacher!

1. Only four days before the big trip – lots to do but much (like, way much) thanks to C & D for their listening, assistance, support, understanding, well, the list goes on…  Most of all, for their love of Jesus Christ and how they have shared that love with me and so many others.

2. As D informed me, this trip is the first I’ve taken in eight year without one or both of them! GULP! Geez, thanks D, I hadn’t thought about that.  Now I feel like I’m headed into the ocean without a life jacket.  It’ll be fine, I know but…

3. It’s kinda weird to me when people say they read my blog.  Well, why am I writing/posting if I don’t want folks to read?!?!  Not sure why it’s weird but it is – but thanks G for the nice comment the other day.  I really was flattered – just caught me off guard.

4. That new camera I bought. Weight 2lbs 11 oz! Gotta do some exercises to carry it around.  Also, the book, well, one of the texts for the Grad school class I just took is smaller!  I’m chunking my way thru – lots to learn!  Don’t want to carry around an almost three pound “point and shoot.”

5. Ran lots of errands getting ready for the trip.  They’ve changed our Target – making it look like all of the others.  I have no idea where anything is!!  WHY mess with it.  It wasn’t broken!  Change is not good.  Oh, that’s the Episcopalian in me, sorry…

Non-sequitur – what does it say about WordPress’ dictionary that it doesn’t recognize the word “blog.”

One day last month…

Prague, 2008