Hail Storm, Mother's Day, Loki, and Music

Friday, May 6th, I needed to go to a few places and was getting ready when I heard it start raining. I knew it was supposed to rain and didn't really think much of it, not even when I heard a few rumbles of thunder, but then I heard hail. I quickly left the bathroom and looked out the living room windows. I then got my cell phone and went outside to record it. Most of the hail stones were pea sized to marble sized, but a few were bigger. It went on for about 6 or 7 minutes. I don't think I've ever seen hail last that long.

When I came back inside, I turned on the news to find out if or when I could leave the house. While I was watching, they said they saw rotation over McLeansville (about 15 minutes or so east of my house) and not long after that a possible tornado hit Mebane (less than 40 minutes from my house). The meteorologist said that he believed it was a tornado. It made me wonder if there'd been rotation over us when the storm came through here. Thank God it didn't touch down here, but I feel bad for those who were hit by a tornado.

Rockingham County got the worst of it, from what I saw. Either one tornado that hit several towns or more than one tornado, but obviously from the same storm/rotation. I've seen a few photos and some video.

Because of the storm and the time I spent watching the news, I ended up leaving the house about 30-45 minutes later than I had planned. First I went to the vet to get Milo's food and one of his medications. Then to Goodwill to drop off some stuff. And then the pet pharmacy (on the other side of town from where I live) to get Milo's other medication.

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Mother's Day was May 8th. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to church because I woke up after an hour and couldn't go back to sleep. (I actually woke up several times in that hour.) I finally fell back to sleep around 7:00 AM.

None of us (me, Charlie, Kelly, Mom, Sean, Ashley) made it to church that day. :-/

For Mother's Day, I got flowers from Charlie and Kelly and Sean and Ashley. They and my mom also got me cards. My mom gave me some money. We gave my mom flowers and a card.

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Kelly and I brought Loki to the vet this past Friday. (Only I could go in. They still have some covid rules at the vet's office.) They did the usual checks, took blood, and gave him two shots. I told the vet that sometimes Loki is a loud breather and when she listened to his lungs with a stethoscope she said she could hear a bit of a whistling sound. She said it's not bad enough to do x-rays, but if he starts coughing, panting, and/or struggles to inhale or exhale, to let them know. He could have/be getting (?) asthma.

They called yesterday with the results of his blood work and said that it looks good.

I have to take him back to the vet on June 3rd for a booster.

Loki did pretty well at the vet. I could tell he was a little nervous (I cracked up when he tried to "hide" between the cabinets and the little trash can; he often "hides" in full view next to doors and bathtubs lol), but he was cooperative - he didn't fight or try to get away or hiss or growl. He just laid there with big eyes.

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I've made a couple purchases since my last entry.

I bought this CC Couture top from someone on eBay. (This is their photo. I take no credit for it.) I paid $17 and change after tax. Shipping was free.

I bought this Jessica Howard dress from someone on Poshmark. I paid less than $31 after shipping and tax.

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We have a pretty good music team at our church. There are a few songs they sometimes sing that aren't my style (and that's fine, even though there are a couple songs I absolutely hate! lol), some songs that are okay or that I like, and some I absolutely love. A few weeks ago, they sang kind of a medley, I guess you'd call it, that just blew the place up. Such anointing!

The first song was Throne Room by Kim Walker-Smith. I had heard it once or twice before, thought it was okay, and never really thought about it again. But when our singers sang it, Lord, have mercy, it was powerful! Kristin did the lead and she was awesome!

 

As that song was ending, they went into part of Lifeline by Hillsong Young & Free - the part that goes, "You're all I want. You're all I want." (repeated several times) and then "Oh, You are my hope. Jesus forever, You've forgiven my failures. And oh, You never let go. Jesus forever, You've forgiven my failures." Kaley did the lead on that one and was also awesome. 

Then they went into part of The Blessing. "May His favor be upon you and a thousand generations. And your family and your children and their children and their children. May His presence go before you and behind you and beside you, all around you and within you. He is with you. He is with you. In the morning, in the evening, in your coming and your going, in your weeping and rejoicing. He is for you. He is for you." Then repeat "He is for you" several times.

 

 

It was beautiful and powerful and anointed! Many were crying, praying, worshipping, hands lifted. Many went to the altar to pray. I absolutely loved it!

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*~*Nocturnal Queen*~*

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This and That

I was going to get the taxes done this past Tuesday, but I had trouble sleeping. I will try again this coming Tuesday.

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Some time early last week, I realized I had no chocolate! *gasp* When I went grocery shopping on Saturday, I bought several chocolate items - brownie mix, a few boxes of Goobers, Pepperidge Farm Brussels cookies, a bag of fun size Baby Ruth, a bag of fun size 100 Grand, and some chocolate pudding. Of those things, I've had a few 100 Grands.

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Entry before last, I posted a song I've been loving. Here are two more:

 

We sing both of these songs at my church. Both done awesomely and with anointing and power! I love it when we sing them.

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I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up around 10:30 PM or so, both Charlie and Kelly had gone to bed. I've been feeling kind of "off" and a little down/blue ever since. I think because I need to hug and kiss them goodnight before they go to bed or things just don't feel right. I think also partly because I expect to start ovulating (sorry if TMI) this weekend and that not only makes me more tired than usual and causes my skin to break out (I'm 49, for goodness sake!), but it also sometimes affects my mood. It doesn't put me in a bad mood, but I reckon it can make me melancholy and make me cry easier. I already cry pretty easily. :-/

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Sean's birthday is this Saturday. He'll be 25. That just seems crazy to me. Feels like he should only be 15 or maybe 18. It's true what they say. It feels like you blink and they're grown. He hasn't told me yet what he wants for his birthday. Too busy with working at the church, married life, and playing video games, I reckon.

 

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~

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Toe-may-toe, Tuh-may-tuh

My husband is just as southern as I am. His mom's people are from North Carolina. His dad's people are from Tennessee. And he's been with me for going on 25 years. How is it that he was surprised to hear me say "tuhmaytuhs" when we were getting groceries this evening?

Husband: "Tuhmaytuhs? There are a couple O's in there. Shouldn't it be 'toemaytoes?' "

Me: "I've always said tuhmaytuhs."

#dudeseriously #whereyoubeen #proudsoutherner #proudnorthcarolinian #handinyoursoutherncard #yourmomanddemfromsampsoncounty #comeonnow #mountainfolkheritage #robesonandcumberlandheritage

(I know hashtags aren't a thing on blogs, but these are the hashtags I used on Facebook and I thought they were funny. lol Also, Robeson and Cumberland are counties in North Carolina. My mom's mom's family are from there. Her dad's family are from the mountains.)

Then Kelly chimes in, "Remember when you ordered a spahcy chicken sandwich for me from Wendy's?"

Me: "That's that mountain ancestry coming out from my grandpa's side."


I tried to find an example of how North Carolina mountain folk pronounce long I's (the way I said it in "spicy"), but only found a brief mention (just the pronunciation really) of it at this site. "White rice".

I also found this fun and interesting video.



By the way, we pronounce "Appalachian" like app-uh-latch-un in North Carolina. No long A's.


Anyway, I may have lived in a few other states growing up (including a couple years up north in Ohio) and I've lived in Greensboro for over 25 years (which, along with a few other NC cities, is full of out-of-staters who cause our southern accents to get watered down, sadly), but those eastern NC and western NC accents are still in me. While my accent isn't as strong as my family in the Fayetteville area or the mountains, I do have a southern accent.

Some may try to sound less southern (which I don't get; if you're southern, be proud of your accent), but I wish my accent was stronger. Had I not spent about seven years outside of North Carolina and had stayed in the coastal town of my childhood or lived in the Fayetteville area where most of my family lives, I would have a much deeper accent. I have an audio tape from our first Christmas in Tulsa when I was 6 or 7 years old. My accent was so deep! lol I sometimes wonder just how deep it would be if there hadn't been outside influences.

I love being southern and love being a North Carolinian. (This is not to say that my husband is the opposite of that. He loves being southern and North Carolinian, too.) I love our accents, our food, and our beautiful land - from the Appalachians to our beautiful rolling hills, our piney sand hills to our small coastal towns and islands. I love our trees and trails and our rivers, lakes, beaches, and waterfalls. Well, I could go on, but I'll stop there. :-)

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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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Easter, Music, Books, School Update

We had a beautiful Easter. Church was awesome. We had about 450 people there for our Easter service. There was great music (Risen, The Great I Am, Shine on Us, Clean), an awesome skit by the youth, a song in sign language (Alabaster Box), another drama/skit/sticks thing (a song about the blood), and then our pastor preached with the Spanish pastor interpreting like they do on the missions field in other countries. Our Spanish church was combined with our English church.




I think our church does it better. More "mmph"and power. :-)


Not really crazy about this song.


Not a favorite of mine, but it's okay.


Not our church, but this is the skit our youth did.

After service (which we didn't stay for), there was hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill (multiple grills), a bounce house for the kids, a petting zoo, candy rain from the roof of our building, an Easter egg hunt on the back lawn, a mini iPad giveaway, and I don't remember what else.

My family and I came on home. I made French toast and bacon. After eating, I went to bed for a few hours because I'd only slept about 3½ hours or so the night before. Thankfully, I didn't feel tired at all during church, but it hit me after eating.

My kids didn't get Easter outfits this year for maybe the first time ever. They weren't really interested. Which kind of makes me sad, but it's fine. Sean wore a black suit with a pink shirt and black tie. Kelly wore a turquoise top, black pencil skirt, long multi-colored cardigan (turquoise, off-white, black southwestern style print), and black heels. Charlie wore black pants and a purple shirt. I wore my new pink dress with a short-sleeved white shrug, new white heels with pink flowers on them (scroll down two entries to see the dress and shoes), and a purse I got at JC Penney this past Friday or Saturday.

Originally $50, I paid $17.50

 

The weather Easter Sunday was absolutely perfect! Sunny and temperatures in the low 70s. I can't remember the last time we had such pretty weather on Easter. Most Easters over the past several years have been cloudy and chilly and sometimes rainy. I'm so glad this Easter was what it should be. Growing up, that's what I remember Easter being like - sunny and warm. It's one of the things I always loved about Easter when I was a kid. I'm sure there were probably some not so nice Easters, but I must have blocked them out. lol

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A day or two before Easter, I did a little shopping and got some pretty good deals.

I got these at Stein Mart. Brand is Amelia Grace. Original price is $59, but I paid about $40.

Dress by Pappagallo. Purchased at Stein Mart. Original price is $99, but I paid $50. I have a weakness for white dresses. And black dresses. :-)

LLoraine shoes from Shoe Carnival. Originally about $50, I got them for about $40. Color: Rose Gold.

Alyx brand dress purchased at JC Penney. Originally $74, I paid $30.

Because I'm short, all dresses go below my knees.

When Easter Sunday came, I was leaning toward the pink dress that I ended up wearing, but had the shrug or the shoes (floral or nude) not looked right with it, I may have had a hard time deciding between the white one, the black floral, or the white with black piping I bought a couple months ago.

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Since my last entry, I've read A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas and High Voltage (10th book in a series) by Karen Marie Moning. I loved the two Court books and would've given them 4½-5 stars at GoodReads if it wasn't for the fact that these sexually explicit books are being sold as teen/young adult books. They are very adult! The thought of teens reading them and some idiot thinking, "Yeah, these are good for teens" and deciding to sell them as such shocks me and kind of makes me sick. So that took away from the enjoyment a little bit. I gave them each 4 stars. Not a huge deduction, I know, but giving them less than 4 stars wouldn't really be accurate as the story itself is really good. I cried several times reading ACOWAR.

High Voltage was a real page turner and I was really enjoying it until the last few chapters. I really didn't like what the author decided to do with the main character. I would say more, but I don't want to spoil it. I gave it 3 stars at GoodReads.

I started reading After You (2nd book in a trilogy) by Jojo Moyes a few days ago. I'm not too crazy about what happened to the main character early on in the book (not because it's a terrible thing to have happen to a person, which it is, but because it just seems a bit much to me and I couldn't help but roll my eyes a bit), but other than that, I'm liking it so far.

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Sean had been wanting to talk to the class assignment people and financial aid people at his school for sometime and finally got to speak to them a few days ago. (They weren't returning calls or emails.) Apparently, and I'm not sure I completely understand this, all but the math course he's taking are not necessary for his major. The reason they put him in English and Public Speaking and Humanities(?) and Psychology and whatever else he might have been taking is because they thought he was going for some kind of degree (he's not; he's going for a certificate in airplane mechanics/power plants/whatever) and to keep him from losing his financial aid.

I think he said that in May he'll be done or get to drop all the other classes and just do the math. (I forget what kind of math it is.) And then in the fall he'll start with the actual airplane mechanics stuff. And I think he said something about having to pay $200+ for something that I guess either financial aid won't cover or there won't be enough left over to cover or something. I'm not sure of the details.

So all this time he's been taking classes he doesn't need for his major because they thought he needed the credits and the knowledge for whatever degree they thought he was trying to get. I mean, sure it helped to keep the financial aid, but other than that it was a waste of time. And I can't help but wonder if he'd have been able to use the financial aid and just do math and go right into airplane mechanics. Would he already be learning the mechanics part right now with the financial aid covering it? Whatever. I reckon there's nothing that can be done about that. I just hope he has enough aid left to cover the mechanics course. I'm going to be kind of angry if it runs out because the school got it wrong.


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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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This is a Short One

Sean passed the test he took this past Wednesday. He takes the final test tomorrow. If he passes that one, he can enroll in aviation mechanics classes. We're hoping he can get a grant or scholarship of some kind. If not, he'll try for an on-the-job training situation or he'll just get a job somewhere and start saving money.

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I went to Dillard's on Friday and got three more shirts.

Westbound top for $29. Like the "melon" colored one I got, which you can see in the previous entry.

Westbound top for $26. "Cinnamon red." I also got it in white, in addition to the pink and black ones in the previous entry.

Kelly got two T-shirts from Hot Topic. (One Anime character and one Arrow - the TV series.) I got Sean a new pair of jeans. His are getting too tight.

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Two new favorite songs:







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~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
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This and That

I'm really looking forward to going to the mountains soon. I was going to go today, but when I called my mom last night (because I know she's going to want to go with me), she was already asleep. :-/ I'll call her about it later today.

Sean wants his girlfriend Ashley to go with us and Kelly wants her friend Rene to go with us. I can only fit five people in my car (including me), so if my mom goes, only Ashley will be able to go with us. (Sean asked first and I said yes before Kelly asked about Rene.) But if mom can't go, we'll bring Rene with us if she wants to go and is able to.

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Charlie left for Georgia a few weeks ago. After that, he was sent to Wichita, Kansas. And then Houston, Texas. He arrived there on Saturday. He should be home next week.

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Autumn is here (my favorite season, along with spring) and that means wearing my fall wardrobe. As much as I love clothes, I don't have nearly as much to wear in the fall and winter as I do in the spring and summer. (Just a few skirts and a few shirts.) I've been trying to fix that and was able to get a few things over the past few weeks.

Back in early August, I bought a plaid skirt ($14.99) at Forever 21. I was going to wear it a few days ago, but I didn't have anything to wear with it. I found something I think will look good with it at JC Penney.

I will probably wear this zipped most of the way up. I wish I'd found a picture of it zipped up.

Other items I've purchased over the past few weeks:

Purchased at Stein Mart for $34.99. Original price, $48. I wanted a vest that's shorter and cooler than the hip-length knitted vests I already have.

Ralph Lauren. I bought this at Belk. Originally $125, I paid $80 after tax. I took this picture in the fitting room. I'm trying to find some boots to wear with it. Black doesn't work.

Target. I just wear this around the house. It's really comfortable.

Stein Mart. Original price, $68. I paid $24.99. I was looking for a jacket to go with my brown skirt (I have a black denim jacket and a black leather jacket, but black doesn't go with brown) when I saw this one. 

I was in need of new flats and was able to find a few pairs. Most shoes are not comfortable to me; including shoes I already own. And especially closed toe shoes. I was looking for soft, flexable shoes. These three pairs of shoes were comfortable in the store. I hope they will still feel comfortable when I wear them for more than a couple minutes.

Macy's. Rocket Dog. Originally $49, but I got them on sale. I can't remember how much.

Macy's. American Rag. Originally $39.50. I got them on sale.

Shoe Carnival. Rocket Dog. Originally $44.99. I paid $24.98.

Calvin Klein. I bought this for my mom at Macy's. Purple is her favorite color. (This is aubergine.) She loved it.

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I normally have a few umbrellas in my car. That way each of us (me, Charlie, the kids) have an umbrella to use if we need one. Though I'm the only one who ever uses one. lol 

It was a chilly, rainy day on Saturday. The kids and I and Sean's girlfriend Ashley were on our way to Great Clips so Sean could get a haircut when we passed by a lady walking somewhere without an umbrella. So I turned around and gave her one of mine. She was really grateful and seemed sweet.

I also vacuumed the church sanctuary on Saturday (as I do pretty much every Saturday) and after doing a little shopping (vest & jacket for me; 3 shirts & a sweater for Kelly), the kids, Ashley, and I went to Red Robin for supper.

Sunday was church and it was really good.

This is one of the songs we sang:

We also sang "I Can't Hold My Love Back From You" and "Oceans". And something else, but I can't remember what.

I came home after church, made French toast (using French bread) and bacon, took a nap, and then watched a little TV. Including the premiere of season six of The Walking Dead. I was excited, but also nervous. I don't want any of my people (Rick's group; except Gabriel) to die. Especially Daryl, Carol, Michonne, and Glenn.

Easter, Sean's Birthday, New Music

Charlie came home the day before Easter. He would've been home a day or two sooner, but his work truck broke down. :-/ Something that's happened many times.

I bought Charlie a new blue shirt and gray pants for Easter the Friday before Easter. I never did find a pair of heels I liked in the stores, but I did find a couple online. I ordered one of them (got a good deal on them after using a promo code for an extra 25% off the already marked down price), but they didn't get here until this past Tuesday. Too late for Easter, but I'll wear them this Sunday.

Nine West Yocelin

 They're lighter than they appear in this picture.

This is the other pair I like and may or may not order:

Alex Marie Angellina

 

Between the two spring/summer church dresses I bought recently (mint green lace and white with blue flowers), I decided to wear the mint green lace for Easter. Sean wore one of his suits with a pink shirt and black tie. Kelly wore an aqua top and black skirt.

Easter service was awesome! Great singing (I especially loved when our choir sang "Our God is Awesome") and great preaching. I don't know how many we had in church, but it looked to be close to 400.

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My son Sean turned 18 on Thursday. This is what I wrote on Facebook:

"Happy Birthday to my son, Sean. He's 18 today. Time has just flown by. It doesn't seem like he should already be 18. (And I don't feel old enough to have an 18-year-old son. Though I am. lol) Wasn't he 5 just yesterday?

"I remember when I was pregnant with him praying that God would use him. I remember feeling him 'dance' around in my womb when I listened to upbeat worship music. And now he's a true worshipper at church, he loves God, loves going to church. That's the best I could hope for for my son - that he loves and serves God.

"So many times, nearly every month, people come up to me at church and tell me what a blessing Sean is, what a good boy he is, how special and sweet he is, how much they love to see him worship, and that they believe God has a plan and a purpose for him. It makes me proud to hear people say these things. I've done the best I can to raise him to know and love God and put God first. We've talked many, many times about the things of God. He's always been interested in that. I've prayed countless prayers for him. I pray that Sean will continue to grow in God and be whatever God wants him to be.

"Happy Birthday, Sean! I love you more than words could ever say."

We went out to eat for Sean's birthday (Red Robin) and his girlfriend Ashley came with us. (She goes to our church.) After leaving the restaurant, we went to Walmart where Sean picked out some games for the PS4 and Xbox 360. We did the cake after we got home.

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I bought a new CD a week or so ago. (Yes, I still buy CDs. I don't have an iPod or MP3 player or anything like that.) Real Life/Real Worship by Anthony Evans. I'm really loving some of the songs on that CD. Never Fail (which reminds me of an 80s song by Phil Collins - Sussudio), Greater is He, Something Beautiful, What Could Have Been, I Found You, and Mercy Tree.

Homeschool - Socialization and Careers

I "like" the blog "Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers" on Facebook. Yesterday, the author posted a link to a blog entry she posted a few years ago. I thought it was pretty awesome.

Dirty Jobs

The topic of that blog entry is something I've talked to my kids about many times. If they go to college, great! If they decide that something else is better suited for them, also great. As long as they're happy, successful at whatever career they choose, and living for God, that's all that matters.

I could say more, but then I'd just be repeating what was said in the Dirty Jobs blog post. So, just go read that. :-)

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Speaking of being "unsocialized", I have a friend at church who tried homeschooling her kids for a year (she said it didn't work out and that her kids begged to be put back in public school) and often asks me how it's going. Inevitably, she brings up "socialization". (I love my friend. God knows I do. She's funny and sweet and spunky. I adore her. And I know she means well. But I get really tired of the homeschooling/socialization questions.) But here's the thing. Socialization isn't about sitting in a classroom, where you're not allowed to socialize, with 20-30 other teenagers. True socialization, learning how to deal with and relate to others, requires people of all ages.

For my own kids, homeschooling has helped them to become more social and more confident. Sean has always been extroverted, a "social butterfly", but now he's more confident and secure in his interactions with others, young and old and in between. I think being bullied all through elementary school and then having to deal with the hell that middle school can be (peer pressure, school pressure, an unfair teacher or two, other students fighting, bad influences, etc.) was a great hindrance for Sean spiritually, socially, and academically. His grades began to slip and he was losing his spark and his joy. Being homeschooled and away from all that nonsense has been of great benefit to him.

Kelly is my introvert. (Like her mother.) She's always been shy, reserved, preferring not to be around other people. I can relate. lol But since we've started homeschooling (fall 2012), she's gradually come out of her shell. She used to not respond when people spoke to her. (When she was little, she'd hide behind me and sometimes cry.) But you should see her at church, flitting around from friend to friend all across the sanctuary, talking, hugging, smiling, and laughing. She used to stay by me the whole time we were at church - sitting next to me and following me around. My shadow, I called her. She's gained so much confidence and has made some friends at church. We've been going to our church since before she was born. She's grown up around these people and has only just begun making friends over the past couple years.

And when we're in public places, she will respond when spoken to and will smile and not shy away. She even jokes with people sometimes. She's still an introvert, but that's not the same thing as being shy or lacking confidence. :-)


For many, public school is working just fine for their kids. And that's great. If they're doing well in all aspects of life (spiritual, social, academic, etc.) while attending public school, then stick with it, if that's what you choose to do. I make no judgements against anyone whose kids go to public school. Most of my friends' kids go to public school and they seem to be doing well. But public school wasn't working for us and so we made a change. Children aren't all the same and they don't all learn the same way or deal with things the same way. They're all individuals, just as adults are. It's up to parents to make whatever changes need to be made for their children, whether it be within the public school system (or private school) or by choosing to homeschool. And really, that's what all good parents are trying to do - whatever's best for their  children. :-)

Oh, the friend who only homeschooled for a year? Her kids are all grown and gone and doing great. Her daughter is going to UNC to be a doctor. Her youngest son is in the Army. I'm honestly not sure what the oldest boy is doing, but she's understandably proud of them. :-)


Talking about socialization always makes me think of this:

Fast forward to 1:28 and watch to 1:50.




lol I can't tell you how many times I heard teachers say (or yell haha) things like, "It's not time for socializing!" when I was in school. Oh, so many times. lol Not at me, of course. I was always quiet and obedient. :-)


So, that's my homeschool ramble. Haven't had one of those in awhile. I hope you enjoyed it. Haha. :-D

20 Years!

 
Twenty years ago today I married my husband, my one and only, the love of my life - Charlie. It doesn't seem like it's been 20 years. I don't feel old enough to be celebrating 20 years of marriage lol, but I am. It's gone by so fast. It seems like it's just been a blink and suddenly 20 years have gone by.

It hasn't all been sunshine and roses, but here we are 20 years later, still together. I look forward to 20+ years more of marriage with my husband. I love him more than words can say.

Of the songs sung at our wedding, this is my favorite:

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."

Easter

We had a great Easter (Resurrection Sunday) this year. It's all about God and church for us. We've never really done the whole bunny and eggs thing. (Though my mom has gotten Easter baskets for the kids in the past.) And even if we did, my kids are too old for it now. :-)

I bought my dress a couple months ago. Actually, I wasn't Easter shopping at the time that I bought the dress, but after buying it (less than $60 at Dress Barn) I decided that it would be great for Easter. I wore a white shrug over it.

 I'm only 5'0", so the dress covers my knees.

I went shopping for the kids the Friday and Saturday before Easter. Kelly chose a turquoise skirt (just $14.99 at Stein Mart) and then decided she didn't feel like getting a top or shoes to go with it. :-/ She wore a shirt and heels she already had. Sean chose an aqua dress shirt (on sale at Macy's) and wore it with a black suit he already has. I also bought him some new black dress shoes at Shoe Dept. (on sale for $25), which he needed.

Not the color of Kelly's skirt. The one she got is turquoise.

Click here.

 
I bought Charlie a pair of black casual slacks (he doesn't like dress slacks) and a dress shirt (white with black and gray vertical stripes). I had hoped and expected that he would go to church with us. (He hasn't been in about 7 or 8 years. His job requires him to travel a lot and he's gotten too used to not going.) Surely, on a day when everyone who claims to believe in God/Jesus Christ and His resurrection goes to church, Charlie would go, too. I begged, I pleaded, told him that I had bought him something to wear, but to no avail. He stayed in bed and we had to go to church without him. :-( *sigh*

But did my sadness and disappointment stop me from having a great, wonderful, awesome time at church? No way! I enjoyed God's presence and the singing and the anointed preaching. I worshipped God anyway! He is worthy no matter what is going on in my life.

Nearly every seat was filled on Easter Sunday. We had 439 in church that day. We ran out of parking spots, but there's a very large church across the street from us with tons of parking. Some people parked there and walked across the street to our church. :-D

We sang several songs, there were a few solos, and the ensemble sang a couple songs. The songs that moved us most were"The Blood" (It reaches to the highest mountain. It flows to the lowest valley. The blood that gives me strength from day to day, it will never lose its power.), "Living, He Loved Me", and "Nobody" by Tye Tribbett (sung by our ensemble - they did awesome!).






Our pastor preached from Matthew 27: 45-49, "The Total Eclipse of the Son", about what happened when the sky went dark while Jesus was on the cross. Awesome message.

After coming home from church, Charlie and Sean went off somewhere for a little bit. I made pancakes (for me), scrambled eggs (for Kelly), and bacon for Kelly and me.

So, with the exception of Charlie not going to church with us, it was a lovely Easter. Beautiful weather, awesome singing and worship, anointed preaching, a full sanctuary, and good food. :-)

Chemo, NAYC, The Passage

My mom had her third round of chemo on Friday, July 26th; the day after her 62nd birthday. It hit her a little harder this time and she was very tired for a few days. Sean was at her house for over a week helping her out around the house. (She lives about a mile from us.) She's been feeling better for a few days now. She has to get a CT scan on the 12th and then sometime after that they'll start radiation. She still has 3 more rounds of chemo to go through, which she'll do after she finishes radiation.

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Sean is going to a big youth event this Wednesday through Friday (he'll be home on Saturday) in Louisville, Kentucky - North American Youth Congress. If I'm not mistaken, there were about 20,000 at the last NAYC in 2011. (They have it every 2 years.) He's so excited he's about to bust. He and several other youth from our church, along with the youth leaders and a few chaperones, will be packing up the van tomorrow evening and then leaving at 3:00 AM Wednesday.

This is the first time he's been out of state without me or Charlie. I'll worry about him, but I'm also really excited for him that he'll get to have this awesome experience.

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I'm about halfway through a book called The Passage, by Justin Cronin. I wouldn't normally read a book like this, but someone praised it (and its sequel, The Twelve) at their blog. I'm really loving this book! I bought the sequel this past Friday and can't wait to finish The Passage so that I can read The Twelve.

Mom Health Update

My mom had her surgery on Thursday, April 25th. It took about 5 hours and she had to stay overnight. The doctor removed her cervix, uterus, ovaries and pelvic lymph nodes. The lymph nodes were sent to a lab to check for cancer. Mom should be getting the results back later this week or sometime next week.

Mom is, of course, a little sore, but otherwise doing fine. She's moving around better and feeling better each day. She was unable to attend church on Sunday, which she really hated, but she'll be going to church tomorrow night. She'll be going back to work in 2-4 weeks.

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Charlie was home from Oklahoma for a couple weeks, but had to go back early yesterday morning. We had to be out of here before 6:00 AM (ugh) to bring him to the airport so that he could catch a 7:00 AM flight. I hope he won't have to be gone as long this time.

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Church this past Sunday was beyond awesome. God moved in so strongly. We prayed for hours. Several of our single adults stayed and prayed for 12½ hours. Wow! We're excited about what God is doing.

These are the songs we sang that ushered in God's presence (pause the music at the bottom of your screen first):







The choir sang this:

What is Love?

This is love ...



And this ...



What an amazing lady. And what a wonderful little French town to remember those who paid the ultimate price for their freedom.

Love bears all things and endures all things. Love never fails and never ends. In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, till death do us part. Unconditional.

Family Tree and Southport

I've been working on the family tree a little more. Spending a few hours on it at a time. I'm writing it out in journals. (If I try to print it from the ancestry.com website, siblings of direct ancestors aren't included. I have printed out some of it, but I don't want the siblings left out, so I'm writing down the family tree in pretty journals so that I can also know the sibling names.) I can't do it everyday, though I'd like to, because it causes my right wrist to hurt. I've only written down my dad's side and I think I've got most of that side done. Though I do keep finding ancestors on his side, which makes me wonder if I'm ever going to finish it. I'm trying to get it done as quickly as I can so that I can start writing down my mom's side and I'd like to write down Charlie's side as well.

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Every January, I begin feeling homesick for Southport. I love that little town so much. It's become more popular over the years. (Though the population is still less than 3000, I think.) And it'll probably become even more popular when Safe Haven comes out in theaters next month. I miss how peaceful it was there, year-round, when I lived there as a little girl.

The population swells during the summer and while it's nowhere near as bad as places like Myrtle Beach (a place I do not like because of all the people and cars and buildings), I'd be happier if it were still the sleepy little fishing village it was in the '70s and earlier. The road from Southport to Oak Island (Oak Island is just across the bridge and the waterfront from Southport) is overwhelmed with cars, an insanely long line, every summer. Ugh. I miss the days when we (residents of Southport) had the place mostly to ourselves.

Anyway, we were last there in September. I wish I'd taken more video while I was there. The only video I took was at Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson, a historic site a few miles upriver. I did take a lot of pictures (which you can see if you click on "Southport" in my label cloud), but just the one video.

Pause the music player at the bottom of your screen first.


You can see my kids and my niece (red shorts) in this video. There's also a brief glimpse of my husband, Charlie.

It was so beautiful and peaceful at the riverfront at Brunswick Town/Ft. Anderson. The temperature was around 80° that day and the breeze from the river at the walkway was so cool and refreshing. I highly recommend going there for the beauty and the history.

I hope that we can go back to Southport in May, before the summer crowds arrive. And it doesn't hurt that the hotel rates are cheaper in May.

Holidays, a Movie and a Funny Video

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had it at our house, as we do every year. Mom was off this year (she usually works) and cooked the turkey. She also brought corn, broccoli, apple pie, and chocolate pie. I did the stuffing, gravy, yeast rolls, rosemary red potatoes, black eyed peas, and cookies and cream pie.

My brother Del, his wife Jennifer, and their son Drake (who will be 2 next month) also came. We had a nice time.

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I was supposed to get my car inspected on Saturday and completely forgot. My brother was going to do it for me, free of charge. I'll try to get it done today.

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I've seen Breaking Dawn part two 4 times so far. The only other movie I saw that many times in theaters was Return of the King (my favorite movie). BD2 is the best of the Twilight movies and since it's the last of the Twilight movies I'll get to see in theaters, I figure I'll see it as much as I can. I don't know if I'll see it in theaters again or not. Kelly wants to (she's seen it 3 times; Sean's seen it once), but we'll see.

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How can it already be time for Christmas music and decorations? It just seems too soon this year even though it's almost December. As much as I love Christmas, I'm just not ready for it yet.

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And I leave you with this hilarious video: [Pause my music player at the bottom of the page first.]

Amazing Singers

I sometimes share songs at Facebook that are on my mind lately or that I think may minister to someone. In my search for the song "Help Me" by Cortt Chavis at YouTube I came across a group of people doing their version of it. They recorded themselves singing it in public places and they are amazing! I don't know who they are, but wow! are they awesome. Especially the lead singer/guitarist.

If you want to hear this, scroll down to the bottom of my page first and pause the music player.


If you view this at YouTube you can see the lyrics to the song there.


This is one of the first ones she did almost two years ago. She is awesome!





These are just a few of the songs they have at YouTube. As I said at Facebook, if they ever make a CD I'm buying it!

Sonnet 116, Movie Clip, My Love

This came to mind a few minutes ago:

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

By: William Shakespeare

Which then reminded me of this scene from Sense and Sensibility:
Scroll all the way down and pause the music first.



“Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that."

Immodestly Dressed Children

This commercial bugs me:



I'm sure many of you have seen it. What bugs me about it? That the mother is okay with her daughter wearing a short skirt and smiles approvingly at her daughter when she's able to wear that short skirt again. Yeah, I know she's also happy that she was able to get the stain out, but dang, that's one short skirt. The girl is obviously supposed to be under 18. Why would any mother be okay with their daughter showing that much skin? Dad should've just thrown the skirt out or burned it.

"Come on! It's just a commercial!", you might be saying to yourself. But it's also a sad reality. Too many mothers are allowing their daughters to dress that way and worse. (Yes, there's worse. Have you seen some of the things they're selling in the girls' departments at clothing stores? Especially Juniors, but also younger.) There's enough pressure on our kids to be sexual and show off their bodies. They need their parents to teach them right from wrong, not go along with what society or the media or fashion designers push on them. We have to stand against the immorality of this world, regardless of how "acceptable" society thinks that immorality is.

Another thing that bugs me about the commercial is the look the mom gives the dad. Can men sometimes do things that annoy us or even infuriate us? Absolutely. But I don't blame that dad one bit for wanting to ruin his daughter's mini skirt. They make dad look like a baffoon or a fuddy duddy. (Does anyone say "fuddy duddy" anymore?) All because he doesn't want his daughter showing off her body.

We need to guard our children against the idea that it's okay for them to show their bodies or be sexual. It is not okay. It's up to us as parents, if we want to be good parents and raise our children right, to teach them that this is not okay.

Yeah, all this because of a commercial. :-)

Things on my Mind

While watching Sean at Karate last night, we found out that the owner of the dojo was in the hospital with a blood clot in his lung. If you pray, say a prayer for him please.

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For some reason, the scene in The Color Purple where Celie tells Mister, "I'm poor, black, I may even be ugly, but dear God, I'm here. I'm here!" popped into my head earlier. I kind of feel that way about myself. I'm in a situation I'd rather not be in and "I may even be ugly", but I'm here!


Fast forward to 7:50 to hear the line I quoted.

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Another thing that popped into my head tonight is a song called Satan, You're a Liar. Good song. Anything I hear or feel that goes against what the Bible says or what I believe God has for me is a lie. Sometimes I feel down and defeated and like things aren't going to work out. But it's a lie! I am not defeated and things will work out!

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I've posted this song before. I just love the beat and of course the words. Probably my favorite line is: "Got a hot wife, don't need to be a pimp!" :-D

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And now a few quotes, including two more marriage quotes from my preacher "friend" at Facebook.

"The right to do something does not mean that doing it is right." -- William Safire

"Spend some time listening to God about your marriage. Then do whatever He tells you to do."

"Loving your spouse is one of the ways you love and serve God."

It's a Wonderful Life, Even With the Pain

The final scenes of It's a Wonderful Life. This movie should teach us all the importance of life and family. No matter how hard life sometimes gets, you can get through it if you just stay, first of all with God, but also with your family. Don't try to go it alone. Don't run off or wish for death or that you had never been born. Stay with your husband or wife and kids. Stay with those who love you. It is from God, family and love where we get our strength to stand, endure and see things through to the other side of life's trials.

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I don't really have much else to say tonight. I'm very tired and also in pain. My left ovary is hurting so much I'm walking around like an old lady. Don't know what's up with it. I don't think it's a cyst rupturing. The pain is much more intense and sharper when that happens. I'm getting some sharp pains tonight, but mostly it's a sore, dull, achy feeling that only gets really bad if I move too quickly. Hopefully it'll be gone when I get up in the morning.

I'm going to try to get the tree up tomorrow. Well, today actually. It's technically Tuesday now.

I've stayed up later tonight than I planned to. I was in bed Sunday night before midnight. I can't remember the last time I was in bed that early. It's practically unheard of, but I was so sleepy I couldn't stand it. I'm about that sleepy tonight and can't wait to crawl into bed.

Y'all have a great Tuesday!