LeBlog--The Blog about life…writing, raising kids, chasing dogs, handling life and all its bit parts.

August 30, 2007

 

Don't Forget the Bacon!

What are you doing for Labor Day weekend? I wish I were sleeping. But I'll be laboring, working on revisions for my book, Fault Lines. Gotta putty up a few fault lines running through the book, so to speak, to make it ready for publication.

We're heading to my folks' ranch this weekend. We'll see some cows, a horse and probably a few piggies. Wild pigs, that is.

Speaking of, has anyone read the book by Pat Hutchins called Don't Forget the Bacon! It's a fabulous book for young children. My kids loved it.

August 29, 2007

 

School

School is in full swing now. The kids are learning about recess, lunch, homework and tests. I can remember getting nervous about tests in high school, especially when I hadn't studied enough. But I don't really remember being nervous in elementary school and I'm sure I had tests then. I just don't remember. And please don't say it's because it's been sooooooooooo long ago! Well, it has. Just don't say it! :)

My son did very well on his first two tests. I think it helped build his confidence. But isn't life like that too? We go through trials or tests, things that challenge us, and we survive. So when the next one comes along, we can look back and know we survived. But with God, we can more than just survive. We can learn and grow and bear witness to our God's faithfulness.

August 28, 2007

 

Rockin' Out

My daughter is almost 8 and she loves music. She has varied tastes, very eclectic so far but with a bent toward rock. I like to get music that she and I can dance around to. We've bebopped to Elvis and Johnny Cash, U2 and Grease.

Often she'll tell me not to sing! LOL! Okay, singing is not my gift. After hearing Sandy Patti at the Women of Faith conference, I'm hoping when I get a new body in heaven that means I'll have new pipes so I can belt out praise songs!

I bought a cd of Nicole C. Mullins with some of my favorite songs: When I call on Jesus, Victory, Talk about It. My daughter and I rocked out in the car to these songs and had such a good time. Now, we're fixing dinner or breakfast or lunch to these songs, just dancing around the kitchen, rockin' out to Jesus music. Aint' it grand!

August 27, 2007

 

Weekend

Is it just me or do weekends get busier and busier? What was your weekend like? My son wanted a relaxing weekend since we'd had such a busy week getting back to school. I'm not sure it was exactly relaxing but it was really good. Of course, I had to do all the things I didn't get done during the week, like: cleaning, grocery shopping, etc... Thankfully, my hubby loves to grocery shop and he did that for me yesterday.

I went to a Women of Faith conference here in Dallas with my good friend Beth. Sandy Patti sang. And boy, can she sing! Nicole Nordeman also sang. Love her lyrics and music. Very poignant. The speakers were wonderful. When Anita Renfro spoke and sang and did all the weird funny things she does, Beth and I were laughing so hard until tears just rolled down our cheeks. Sheila Walsh spoke about one topic that is near and dear to my heart and which my current book is about: dreams and desires. Patsy Clairmont spoke about facing fears. I've had to do that a lot this past year. But fear isn't from God. And if we can push through the fear, then we can experience all God wants us to see and know. So many other speakers and worship music that were enlightening, funny and heartfelt. If you haven't ever been to a Women of Faith conference, then try to go.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

August 24, 2007

 

Taxi, anyone?

I am a full fledged taxi service now. It's happened. I keep thinking I should look for my parents' old station wagon in the garage. For years, I've joked about 'have school will travel' as we went here and there to lots of activities and did school along the way. But amazingly, we seem to be even busier! How did that happen? My kids are participating in so many activities. Sometimes I wonder if it's too many. But then, I'm not sure what I'd cut out. They love them all. I want them to be able to pursue their interests. Luckily flag football only lasts two months. But then it's quickly replaced by basketball. With my husband working such late hours, the taxi driving really falls to me. And everything seems to be during dinner or during dinner preparation hours. So this week, I started using the old crock pot again. Except everything I've fixed the kids frown at. I have to admit the Carribbean sweet potato and black bean stew was less than desirable. But I liked the Thai chicken. However, my kids wiped the sauce off their chicken legs with their napkins. Lovely. What to do? If you have any recipes for something to stick in the oven or crockpot for hours (4-5), something kids will love, then please share!

August 23, 2007

 

Alarm Clocks

Do you cringe at the thought of setting your alarm clock? Groan when it goes off? I know how you feel! What's funny is that this summer I bought my kids alarm clocks as they'll have to get up early for school. They were sooooooooo excited! One reason, they don't have to hear a monotone buuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzzz. Nor do they have a foghorn blasting away at them. They can put in a cd of their choice and wake up to whatever music they choose. My son has been waking up to the sound of "SpongeBob Squarepants!" He had the volume turned up so high the other morning my husband could hear SpongeBob downstairs. My daughter has been changing daily from "Phantom of the Opera" to "Grease" to "Princess Diaries." Oh, to be seven and nine again when alarm clocks are thought to be great fun and you have the energy to bound out of bed each morning.

By the way, school went really well yesterday. I cried when my daughter came down to the kitchen in her uniform. She looked so grown up. I was worried I'd be a blubbering idiot taking them to their classes but I managed to hold it together and not embarrass them. But I felt the tightening of the throat, my eyes filling up, so I left before the waterworks. The kids had a great day, and I'm so grateful for that!

August 22, 2007

 

Shhh it's a secret!


Okay, it's not such a little secret. I hope you'll pass it on. One Little Secret is a new book by author, Allison Bottke! This gal has a lot of cool stuff going on! Not only does she write fiction for Bethany House (this is her 2nd book) but she also writes non-fiction under the banner God Allows U-Turns! I hope you'll check out this book and let me know how you like it! Allison also has a really cool e-zine called, "Boomer Babes Rock!" I love getting it, so hope you'll sign up for it as well.

On a personal note: today is our first day of school where I take the kids and ALL their supplies to school and drop them off and LEAVE! That's a bit weird for me. I don't do that very often. I'm confident this is a really fabulous school. I'm confident the kids are going to do well. But as any mom, I'm praying! If you think about us today, please pray my kids have a glorious day making friends and learning. Please pray for mom who is a bit sad but also very happy and excited for them!

August 21, 2007

 

No Reservations

Believe me, you do not want a reservation for my home cooking. I think I'm allergic to the kitchen. I always joke when I set fire to a pan of shrimp or forget I'm boiling chicken and almost burn up the pan (last week!) or cut myself while chopping vegetables that I'm just trying to get out of KP duty. Frankly, I am not a good cook. I can put meals together. But it's just not my thing.

But have you seen the movie No Reservations? It's really a good movie. And these folks enjoy being in the kitchen! It was a lot of fun to watch and made me cry a couple of times. But it did not make me want to be a chef.

Now that our lives are really picking up the pace as the school year starts, we have several nights where the kids have activities and I'm busy running them around and no time to cook. Which leaves us at 7:30 without dinner made. Kind of late to start. So I needed something I could put in the oven and leave for four to six hours. Which led me pull out my dusty crock pot that I haven't used in years. My husband actually thought I'd bought a new one.

Last night I made this delicious tomato soup. It really was wonderful, a bit chunkier than LaMadeleine's but delicious. You could probably chop the tomatoes finer, if you're not afraid of chopping the way I am. Or you could puree it. What I loved: I threw it together and left it in the crock pot. And it was ready when I got home with the kids. I'll post the recipe later this week.

August 20, 2007

 

Back to school

Do you remember getting your lunch box? The smell of freshly sharpened pencils? Looking to see who was in your class roster? Meeting your teacher for the first time?

My first grade teacher, Mrs. Kunnell, had been my brother's first grade teacher 7 years before me. So when I went to her classroom with my mother that first day (oh so many years ago), Mrs. Kunnell gave me a great big hug. Overwhelmed me a bit as I was shy back then. I know, unbelievable, right?

I'm flooded with memories of that first year. I remember putting letters together and forming words. Suddenly, I'd notice words everywhere! And I could read them! I remember my friend, Michelle, got the chicken pox, and when she came back to school she had to sit away from everyone else for a couple of days. I thought that was cruel. I remember a girl who wore white go-go boots every day, her heels clopping down the hall. I remember Jana and Greg calling me names. "Leanna, banana!" It did not make me laugh. And I remember my friend, Debra, who sat next to me. She came to school one Monday morning. I said, "How was your weekend?" "My mommy died." Our class bought her a bracelet and gave it to her.

Today, as I go to school for my kid's first day of class (I know, it's kind of weird but that's how their school does it. I go today, my kids start Wednesday), I wonder what experiences they will have. How their character will be formed by different events in their lives. How they will grow and change and develop. It's an exciting time for them. I pray it will be a wonderfully positive experience. But I know there will be fabulous times and difficult times ahead. I can't protect them from the bad, just as I wouldn't protect them from the good. I just pray for God's wisdom that I will know how to help guide them and love them through it all.

What do you remember about the first day of school or your first school year?

August 17, 2007

 

Friday

Today is a big day at my house. I'm taking my kids to meet their teachers! They are so excited. They've each received an email from their teacher this week. Next week, they start to school. Now this is pretty typical all across America. However, we've been homeschooling for a few years now, so my kids have never been to school. So jampacked with all the excitement is nervousness. My kids will be going to a school that combines private school and home school. So they'll actually only be going to school two days a week. They'll be home the rest.

I have to tell you, I'm a bit sad by the whole thing. I'm so used to being a part of their education and talking to them about whatever they're learning. I know I'm going to miss them terribly during the days they're gone. I am, however, excited for them. I think it's a great opportunity for them and a chance to learn things I am unable to teach them, like Latin. I'm actually rejoicing that I don't have to teach math anymore. I'll have to help with homework but I won't have to introduce concepts (especially the ones I don't quite understand!). Whoohooooo!

On a slightly different note, I thought this news article was hysterical. For those of you who aren't writers, let me explain a little. Most of us writers don't like doing book signings because there usually aren't throngs of people waiting. Most of us don't have gobs of fans waiting for hours like J.K. Rowling. It's more likely we'll be asked where the restroom is than to sign a book. So in the last few years, it's very common for writers to do 'driveby signings' where we go into a bookstore, see if they have our books and then sign them. A signed book sells. Don't ask me why. (WHY? my kids would say.) Usually, authors are encouraged to do this sort of signing, but most often we ask permission before we do. However, if you're Stephen King ... Well, you read the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070816/od_afp/lifestyleaustraliabooksoffbeat

Have a great weekend!

August 16, 2007

 

30th Anniversary


If you've even seen a glimpse of the news these days, you couldn't have missed all the hoopla going on at Graceland this week. It's the 30th Anniversary of Elvis's death. 30 years. That in itself seems unreal to me as I remember the day he died so clearly. But also, the fact that 50-60,000 people were in the meditation garden last night to remember. That's incredible! What other artist garners that kind of interest?

I wonder what Elvis would think of all the attention. Who wouldn't be pleased to be remembered so long after their death? Who wouldn't want to make an impact not only on your generation but on those following? But I think Elvis was also very humble and I think he'd bow to the one that made it all possible. He alwasy made it very clear that his abilities and gifts were from God. I think he'd give credit where credit is due.

August 15, 2007

 

Interview with Mary E. DeMuth

Why did you write this book? Aren’t there already a bazillion parenting books out there?
Yes, I do believe there are a bazillion. I always struggle when I write a parenting book because I feel so darned small and weak. I don’t parent perfectly. But, we did live through two and half years in France, the hotbed of hyper-postmodernity. We had to learn how to parent our kids in that culture. It occurred to me that the things we learned would be helpful to American parents too.

What does postmodern mean? And why should it matter to parents?
Postmodernism is the waiting room between what used to be a modern worldview and what will be. According to several postmodern scholars, we’re in a shift right now, leaving modern ideas behind, but what we are shifting to is not yet fully defined.

Postmoderns believe that rationalism and/or more education doesn’t necessarily create a better society. They typically don’t embrace the notion of absolute truth, though they reach for the transcendent. They are skeptical, and often question whether science is something to be embraced or feared.

The question for parents is how will we mine the current worldview, even as it shifts? What in it can we embrace as biblical? What is not biblical? What I’ve seen in the church is a fearful adherence to what is familiar. So we cling to modern ideas, even though they may not be biblical and shun postmodern ideas even when they might be biblical. Our children will meet this shifting worldview no matter what our opinion of it is.

How can a parent help their children prepare for the world outside their door?
Become a conversational parent. Talk to your kids. Listen. Share your story.
Dare to believe that God has much to teach you through your kids. Be humble enough to learn from them.
Create a haven for your kids, an oasis in your home that protects, supports, and gives kids space to be themselves. Take seriously the mandate that you are responsible for the soul-nurturing of your children.
Teach your children to joyfully engage their world, while holding tightly to Jesus’ hand. Teaching this comes primarily from modeling it in your own life. Do you engage your neighbors? Are you more interested in God’s kingdom than your own?
Admit your failures openly with your children, showing how much you need Jesus to live your daily life.

You are the first to admit that being authentic might require a parent to apologize after an angry outburst. Are you saying that authentic parents don’t always have it all together as some would like to think?
Yep! We are all frail, needy humans. If we present ourselves as perfect parents, never failing, always doing this correctly, we show our children we have no need of Jesus. We also set up a standard of perfection—that to be a Christian, one has to be perfect. This can lead to our children creating elaborate facades or hiding behind masks. I’d rather have my children see that even mommies make mistakes. Even mommies need Jesus every single day.

You talk about the twin values of engagement and purity. What does that mean?
Many parents subconsciously believe that true parenting means protection at any cost. We received a lot of flak for putting our children in French schools because the atmosphere there wasn’t exactly nurturing. Believe me, the decision was excruciating. But through it all, I realized that Jesus calls us all to be engaged in the culture we live in, yet not to be stained by it. That’s the beauty of engagement and purity.

Abraham understood this. After God told him to leave everything and venture to a new place, he obeyed: “From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 12:8). Oswald Chambers elaborates: “Bethel is the symbol of communion with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abraham pitched his tent between the two.” As parents journeying alongside our children through a postmodern world, this concept of pitching our tent between communion with God and engagement in the world should encourage us.

What bugs you about postmodernism?I happen to believe in absolute truth, so that’s a problem! But more than that, I worry that all our rambling about it, trying to discern what it is, has caused us to rely more heavily on our own intellectual pursuit of God than our heart. When I get caught up in that, I remind myself of my friend Jeanne’s son Jacob, whose heart after Jesus takes my breath away. Living with a brain injury, Jacob throws off pretense as he worships God, arms vaulted to the sky in unashamed heart worship. That’s the kind of believer I want to be. That’s the kind of heart I want. I love this verse: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). For me, for my children, that’s my prayer, that we’d be simply and purely devoted to Jesus no matter what worldview we find ourselves in.

I hope you'll buy Mary's book Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. It's eye-opening, intriguing and has a lot of good advice.

August 13, 2007

 

All things wacky and wonderful

Just some fun things to take note of:

Did you know they're coming out with a Jimmy Stewart stamp this Friday? I love Jimmy Stewart! Of course, my favorite Jimmy Stewart movie is It's a Wonderful Life. But I also love Harvey and Shenandoah. Very different films but equally wonderful.

Did you know Graceland is holding a contest all week to discover the best Elvis artist? They don't like the term impersonator. I think the tribute artist who was at my signing is in the contest. You can check out Harold "Elvis" Schulz at www. bluesuedeent.com

Did you know I'm on YouTube? I am! How weird and wacky is that? B&H filmed this video while I was in Nashville a couple of months ago. Check it out and see what you think! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1orpuu1q4o

 

Parenting Ain't Easy!


I've been reading a book by Mary E. DeMuth called Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. It's really interesting and not as high-brow as the title suggests. Mary offers practical things parents can do in not only modeling God-centered behavior but also in communicating with our children. Later in the week, I'll try to post an interview with Mary on my blog if I can figure it out.

August 9, 2007

 

Summer days and school days

Summer is coming to an end. I'm treasuring each day before my kids go to school. This will be their first year to head off. In the past we have homeschooled. This year, we're combining homeschool with a private school. Our kids will be going to a school two days a week and home the rest where we will do lots of homework. It's going to be an interesting change. The good news is that I don't have to teach math anymore! We've been busy getting ready for this new change, buying uniforms, backpacks, lunch boxes, books and more books and more books. We're all excited. But I'm a little sad too. My babies aren't babies anymore. But I am so proud and excited to watch them as they stretch their legs a bit.

I've also been really busy trying to finish my book, Fault Lines. It's due next week! Waiting in the wings, I have page proofs for Elvis Takes a Back Seat to read. Then I must start my next book. I'm actually really excited about that.

August 3, 2007

 

Meet Muffet


This is Muffet before she got old. Before she went deaf. Before she became blind. She's not with us anymore. And that makes me sad still. She passed away in her sleep a year and a half ago. It was two weeks before Christmas. The same day I received a rejection on my manuscript. The same day my husband was laid off work. What a day! But that's another story.

Still, I had known that Muffet couldn't last much longer. I had actually been praying about two years for her. I hope that doesn't sound strange to you. But it's true. I was worried about her end. I wanted it to be as gentle as it could be. I also worried about my children. My son was so sweet to Muffet. She would make it up to the top of the stairs looking for me. Then she'd stand at the top of the stairs and bark for someone to come get her because she would never come down the stairs. Never. Not even when she was young. I tried to teach her one time, but she shook all over. So often, my son would climb the stairs to go get her and carry her down. Toward the end, she wouldn't even be able to make it up the one step into our house through the back door. My son was often the one letting her in, helping her. So I worried about how my children would react, especially if I had to make a decision about her life.

So that cold day in December when I came home after a full day of shopping with my children, with tears streaking all of our faces, I knew it was answered prayer. But some prayers are really hard.

In fact, all the of answers we received that day was answered prayer. I wanted the right publisher at the right time for my manuscript. I was being told, "Not this one." My husband and I had been praying for three years about his job. This was our answer.

Answers to prayers aren't always easy. But we knew, God was watching over us. God had a reason and a purpose.

So was it silly to pray for my sweet little companion? No. You see, God cares about even the littlest. And if He cares about our birds and fish and cats and dogs, how much more does He care about you and me?

August 2, 2007

 

Meet Belle


My husband gave me this sweet puppy for my birthday right after we got married. She was supposed to be a shih tzu but the vet says she's too big that she's really a llaso apso. Whatever she is, she's sweet as can be. Not the brightest bulb, but so sweet and loving.

When we lived in our first house, we had a pool and thought it important that she learn to swim. She swam like a little turtle, her legs moving very slowly. She loved to lie on a floaty in the pool like a queen.

This little spot she's squeezed herself into in the picture above is under the kitchen table at my folks' house. It's the spot all puppies have found to be secure and safe and yet right in the middle of everything. Most of our puppies outgrew this spot. But even after Belle did, she would squeeze her fat little rump into it and then get stuck and not be able to get out without help.

August 1, 2007

 

Miracle again


Miracles do happen. The fact that Miracle is alive is proof of that. She shouldn't have lived. She was born way too early. But she did. She not only lived but when the vet saw her he said she was the healthiest orphan kitty he'd ever seen. ('Orphan' meaning that the mother was not able to provide milk.) Hershey probably shouldn't have lived after being hit on the highway. Her time was definitely short when we picked her up. With the heavy traffic, she would have been hit again soon. Then she survived giving birth to three kittens. The infection in her shoulder went down and she had her leg amputated. It healed well and she gets around very well. Occasionally she forgets and tries to slap the dogs with her absent leg and has to reverse positions to get them with the only front leg she has.

Hershey is never going to do algebra. She has problems seeing. For the first year, she hunkered down under our dining room table and stayed there except for meal time and to find me at 10 o'clock at night for some loving. But she has blossomed since and now rules the roost.

Eight weeks after Miracle was born, we weaned her off the milk supplement. She began to drink from a little pan and no longer needed the eye dropper. Then she began solid food. What a relief! And then Hershey's milk came in. A little after the fact. So for a week or two we had to keep mother and kitten separated.

Remember back to when we found Hershey? We couldn't keep her because my husband and I am allergic to cats. Remember that? Well, now we had two cats that were healthy and recovering well from their ordeal. But what were we going to do with them? We loved them. That's what it came down to. We'd poured a lot of time and energy into them. Not to mention money on Hershey's hospital stay and surgery. My daughter was in kitten heaven. Her prayers had been answered. But here's the other miracle that occurred. My husband and I aren't allergic to Miracle. Not at all. Weird. We're slightly allergic to Hershey and have to be careful when handling her not to rub our faces and to always wash our hands.

This little black/gray cat has a few idiosyncracies. For instance, she loves water. Not a bath, mind you. But water! When she hears the faucet turned on, she comes running. If she hears the shower, she comes running. She has learned to turn on the faucet in my bathtub. She loves to watch it drip. She also loves to find a forgotten glass and tip it over so she can watch the water run and drip off the table. She did accidentally jump into the toilet a couple of times. But it taught my kids to keep the lid down!

Where as our lab won't fetch, our Miracle will. She also pulls toys out into the hallway and cries for my daughter to come play with her. She has her particulars and my daughter is her favorite.

We keep that first picture of Miracle on our refrigerator to remind us that miracles do happen and God answers prayers.

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