Snow Storms

I am sitting in a hotel room in Denver watching the blizzard of 2009 swirl past my windows. The pool below me has steam coming off of it and looks a little out of place in the mad winter/spring snowstorm.

Snow in Colorado is not unusual; in fact for March it is pretty common place. We are more likely to have snow at Easter out here in the West than at Christmas! But is always seems to surprise me....even though I have lived here for almost 15 years. Each time we get a few springlike days with high 70 degree weather, I get to thinking maybe we will get passed by for our spring snow. I get out the seed catalogs and start planning the garden. I go to Walmart and see if they have any new garden tools that I just HAVE to have. I even go out to my son's greenhouse and see if he has any early pansies or snapdragons that I might plant out to make spring hurry along just a bit.

And every year without fail I am shocked back into the reality of living in Colorado----this time it is suppose to be 12-18 inches worth of shock! An me and my 2 girls and 3 extra friends all in a hotel about 75 miles from home!!!

We came up to Denver for a speech tournament that was to last the entire weekend. We were all looking forward to it so much. Old friends, great competition, and a little time away in Denver. The flowers are blooming up here and the trees are budded out...always such a nice time to be in Denver.

But the snow started this morning and they closed the college down where the meet was being held, and with no option of driving all the way back home we headed for the hotel. What is usually a 15 minute drive turned into a 60 minute crawl, and all of us traveling in our 15 passenger van!!!! Talk about stressful.

But we made it and we are all safe and sound-----the girls are all in their PJ's watching a movie and texting friends. I am catching up on emails and this blog, and springtime in the Rockies is howling outside around the lonely pool below my window sill.

Our President

Ok-----don't get me wrong....I would wonder this if McCain had won and this was happening. What in the world is the President of the United States doing on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno? Will this be the way that the current administration talks to Americans? I just don't get it.

Jay Leno is crass and vulgar, interviews some of the most bizarre people in the news and doesn't seem to really add anything to our nation except a handful of poorly written jokes. And our President appears on his show? Is Oprah next---or maybe Dr. Phil or Jerry Springer?

Is this the way that America is going to find out what is going on in Washington---through Late Night Comedy Shows? Whose idea was this? The PR people at the White House are sure needing to get a little higher standard for public display of our President!

And while I am on it.....Michelle Obama was visiting a school yesterday in Washington D.C. In the photo op. the room was filled with young black students all talking with her. Mrs. Obama was talking about her struggling in school and working hard for her "A". She was recorded as saying "I got teased my whole life for talking funny like a white girl----that did not stop me from getting my "A"!" Hmmmmmm! Should that talk bug me? I kinda does---not because I talk funny or anything.....but can you imagine if the table was reversed and something about a black person was compared........Shouldn't everyone get outraged over unfair statements.....even if we are white?

Josiah

We got the call yesterday that we have been waiting for for well over a year.....the call that will change some things around here for good. Our son Josiah, has been approved to fly to San Diego for 2 weeks of training to receive a service dog from Canine Companions.

Josiah has CP and is in a wheelchair. Canine Companions train dogs to be helpers and friends to the handicapped. A dog will be matched to Josiah's personality and disability while he is in California, and then they both will be taught how to get along with each other. Subtle commands and signals will be learned and practiced till they are both comfortable with each other. Then we all fly home with a new member of the family.

My only hesitation is this......the dog has to become a "member of the family"! Now don't get me wrong---I like dogs, have had a dog my whole life, grew up with dogs. But the dog----was a dog....not a member of the family. The paperwork I had to fill out to get this dog was almost as thick as some of the paperwork we had to submit in order to adopted some of our children! I have to promise that the dog will have regular check-ups (I can do that), regular exercise(I can do that too) and that it will have grooming and personal hygiene done each week (personal hygiene???) In other words, I have to brush this dog's teeth! (I think we have a problem)!

OK----that just seems gross to me. BRUSH HIS TEETH! I don't know. Isn't there some product out there that the dog can chew on and get that accomplished without me having to step in? This may be interesting.....

But Josiah is very excited and can't wait to get his new "friend". The dog's purpose is to bridge the gap between the wheelchair and other people and Josiah. This dog will be a magnet for people to come and talk and get to know Josiah and not be put off by his handicap. It should be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Just hope no one gets too close to check out the dogs' teeth---they may be dirty!

Yard Work

About this time of year I am so anxious to get outside and play in the garden. I already have a drawer full of seeds waiting to be planted. The tool shed is cleaned and ready to go with all of my hoes and shovels lined up in a straight row looking like little soldiers waiting for their marching orders. The robins and bluebirds are back----a sure sign that spring is here.

But I live in Colorado----spring likes to tease us for 2 months or more before it decides to really settle down and stay put. Just two nights ago we had a covering of light snow on the ground and the robins were all looking for a warm place to spend the evening! The next day it was in the 60's and a bright sun was melting all the evidence from the night before.

But I am not deterred.....being in the garden is one of the best places for me to be. The warm soil, the smell of the young plants, the bees and butterflies keeping me company. I never ever thought of yard or garden work as a chore----just a wonderful way to spend some time outside.

Well yesterday, in our Pastor's sermon , he said something that made me rethink my favorite hobby. He has been preaching from Genesis and last week he covered the fall of man from the Garden of Eden. Sad story----really sad. But this week he talked about the curses that resulted from that fall......more sad stories.

He talked about the pain in childbirth (been there) and how the snake would crawl in the dust (seen that), but then he touched on how the earth would be cursed and we would have to really work hard to get anything to grow after the fall and that man would have to eat with sweat on his brow all the days of his life.

He then went on to talk about yard work---and how we are always in a constant struggle to keep things looking right---mowing, fertilizing, weeding, spraying, tilling replanting. A struggle that never ends----we always have to keep up with it---ALWAYS---if we want anything to grow.
And then he said----"you work the ground all your life trying to keep it under control---and in the end---the ground will win and swallow you up and you will be buried 6 feet deep in it!" Hmmmmmm...........

Can I be buried in the herb garden right under the mint?

So much to do.....

I have been slow to return to this blog in the last few days. It seems that life just sped up to a higher gear and I have been waiting for the return to cruise speed. But I don't think that is going to happen any time soon. So because of sleep issues, and having nothing else to distract me at 4am~~I can return here to jot down some thoughts.

This weekend I have been surrounded by adults and teens alike at a speech competition that my girls are participating in. It is a great group of people who are creative and smart and funny. It has been so wonderful to see the friendships made and the memories being created.

But I also found myself being critical of some things that I have seen, and witnessed some pretty bad behaviour on the part of some involved in the meet. Short tempers, rude speech and some pretty ugly displays that have added up to unkindness. And my spirit tends to be critical alot of the time....I can always see what is wrong....I always think I can do it better. I hate that!

So this morning I am making a vow to try to work on this critical side of me that I do not like. I want to speak words of life into others---not gossip,encourage~~~~ not tear down,build up ~~~not bring down. No easy task when you can "see how much better you could do it" or know that "this is really not the way it ought to be done!!!!"

I want to find the verses in the Bible that will help me walk through this vow and put them to memory....so that they can flash in front of my brain when I start to gossip or complain.

Dear Lord---Help me as I am weak and need your reminding and your strength to make this vow a part of my life---EVERY day!