Bills are being paid

I just accomplished something major; I paid off a bill that I have had for many years. I paid it electronically and I am sure there will be some interest I may have to pay next month, but it will be paid. It is a major accomplishment for me and I was hoping that I would have some elation from it. It is a small victory when there are other bills that are mounting as well. I pay them, on time. I am by no means under water. I pay extra and things I buy on credit cards are paid off the same month. At this point, it is the amount that I buy that is the issue. that is another story for another day.

Thoughts

I was reading a post over at Skinny Therese about vocational choices and weight loss. I think that people definitely starve themselves of the things they love and compensate with food. And the food is never enough, the shopping is never enough, the (place your obsession here) is never enough. Why do we search for such things? What are we missing in life that causes these things to happen?

I remember getting really depressed seeing the housing divisions spring up in places where farmland used to be. I have always wanted a home, but seeing that housing spring up, those "little boxes made of ticky tacky" didn't seem like home to me and didn't seem like a good investment. There is a part of me that is wild and outlandish and wants to break free and sail away, to hell with everyone else. But, you can only do that once and you can't go back once you do those things. I am not a prodigal son, nor do I see being welcomed back with loving arms. I see them holding me at an arms length, wondering when I will cut and run again. So I ignore that part of me and focus on the solid dependable foundation of house and home, love and family and my comfort resides there. The wild and outlandish part of me is overpowered by safety and assurance. It bubbles occasionally, but rarely does it get its way. It is more rare now than ever.

The sky looks like snow though we are too far south and it is too warm for that. I keep thinking about the time I will spend in Ohio (It snows a lot there) and I love it there. No, I love my parents... where ever they are. I have a fondness for Ohio, but I feel like my parents raised me in cocoon of middle class, of books and music, thoughts and ideas. I felt so out of place with most of my class. It will be interesting to see what they all are like when I return next year for the reunion... with a 1 month old baby in tow. The kids in high school all were interested in partying and hooking up and all I wanted to do was get out. I knew the world was bigger than Rootstown. Not to say I didn't get a darn good education there, that is not my point... but I knew there was more, and I wanted to explore it. The wild and untamed side of me I guess. There are people who still live there and that is fine.

The neighborhood I am in now is solid working class and that is fine, but I sense this area is not right for us. We need to be elsewhere. The house will go on the market and we will find our spot... eventually. Still in the Richmond area... but I think a little more in tune with who we are and what we do. I like to garden and C likes his ham radio, so they have to be compatible with that. At this point, I know there is a house out there that is waiting to become our home. Somewhere.

For right now, there are more chores to be done, I have things to get rid of... I am purging. It feels good. The guilt of spending the money is there, but I am trying to purge that as well. Clean closet, clean mind.

Curses

Our sump pump as been going non stop for 3 days. We got a lot of rain, but not that much. Even then, the pump would cycle on and off. Well. I was getting very grumpy last night and said to my husband, just shut off the darn breaker. We couldn't find the breaker that shut it off (This was 1 in the morning, mind you). I asked him to try the main house breaker and that worked. We couldn't go through the night with out electricity so we flipped it back on and the sump rattled on again. While I was at church, he tested all the breakers, because you may miss something at one in the morning. None of them turned it off. Conclusion, pulled from the main line into the house.

Finally, my husband, C, had had enough. He donned a tyvek suit and crawled under the house. The line was tacked up to the underside of the floor, there was a j box and an outlet. There was the sump, plugged in with a cheater ground. So it was unplugged.

What kind of idiot:

• doesn't run the item through a breaker for safety purposes and ease of repair.
• hooks up a J box and an outlet for a piece of equipment that pumps water and uses a cheater grounding plug.
• puts a sump pump in where it cannot be reached?

While I shake my head at this mastery of crap that is this new found item in our "house of wonders/horrors" it makes me wonder what kind of mental midget lived here before we did. I will not buy another house like I did in the past, with blinders on and not seeing this type of stuff. My eyes are OPENED. There a lot of things like that in this house and I wonder how the heck are we going to repair the damage of the screw ups and sell it to get our money back out of the house. *sigh*

Well, pooh

I had such grandiose plans. I was going to go to the gym every week. I was going to go every day. What kind of fool am I?

My hips crave the exercise. I can feel the joggling. And yet, I do not go.

I guess my body is too busy creating life to worry about it, but my brain does.

I need to worry about that.

reformation day!

I get to give my temple talk today and I am ready.... I think. I just need to make sure that MM is not there, so she will not disturb. Daddy will remove her to junior church. Yay.

I am teaching Sunday School, and I am looking for my rythym. I have not found it yet.

Shower, breakfast and get rolling. I wonder what I can check off on my list today.

I was considering going to the Highland Games with MM but we will not have enough time. It is sad, but I think I will just take her to a local park. Much, much cheaper.

Happy Reformation Day.

Random thoughts for temple talk

The church has a firm foundation. Many years ago, a group of people decided there needed to be a church. They gave their time and committed money to make that happen. The church grew and the challenge of making the building grow with the church was needed and it again happened. The need for a second pastor was clear and again, the people of this congregation acted and we found a second pastor and made this happen. When we set our minds to it, this congregation can do anything.



As a member of the ELCA, we give to the ELCA in the form of benevolence to the Virginia synod. Benevolence means that the Synod sponsored events take place. We give so that events like Lost and Found can happen for the youth. What we give is received back multifold. We work together with other churches in this community. When we hold events like the Fall Festival and have Trunk or Treat and we see that the community benefits, our ministry resounds and echos in the Lakeside area. What we give is received back multifold.

right!

I have been not blogging, again, still slogging around on facenook, realizing it is a time waster and yet still not giving it up. I will eventually.

I just found out I have way too much vacation time to take and I wish that I could fly with MM anywhere, but that taskes time and money. So I will take some time off and try to do some fun things.

This morning I hear my husband talking to my daughter and it is a beautiful sound. NPR is in the background, but it is pledge time.

I miss writing. I will have to do it more.