Christmas shopping

Got loads of stuff of the net.  Yipee!  Took granddaughter for christmas shopping mum put her on the bus and i met her my end.  This was her first time on a bus by herself.  Her mum was picking her up at our house to take her home.  The bus was so slow she passed the bus she was on in the car coming to us.  LOL!

Granddaughter may be only 10 (nearly 11) but she knows how to shop till she drops.  Just five minutes before closing she said 'right now for accessories'.  Not with me she wasn't.

This weekend we are going to start wrapping, so hopefully i am nearly there.

Now i have put so many journals on alert, i find i am taking all my time reading them and have no time to write my own.  As it is i will have to cut this short as i must go to a church meeting.  Bye.

Why did the rock band hire a chicken

They needed the drumsticks.

 

Bits and bobs

Granddaughter better today but now she has a cough, tummy pains have gone though.

Have spent the week with daughter on internet trying to buy presents, but today all the things that daughter wanted in Argos and had been out of stock were now back in stock.  Yipee!!!!  So we have a huge list of things reserved to go and get on Monday.  Goodbye money...

The squirrel was back in the garden today, this was the first time daughter had watched it.  She was in histerics as it went round the garden digging up the acorns and re-planting some and eating others.  She was especially enthralled when it came right up to the pot outside the house and dug up a nut from the pot that it had buried earlier emerging with mud on its nose.  It cleaned off the nut and eat it.

And then who should appear...yep, Maggie the magpie.  She followed the squirrel all over the garden with squirrel turning every now and then to chase her off up the garden chair and on to the fence. i don't think i have ever seen the squirrel in the garden eating without Maggie in attendence worried that there was some food going that she was missing out on. LOL!!!

 

                   A Bit of a Shaggy Horse Story

 

A man wants to buy a horse.  Unfortunately the stables he goes to only has one horse for sale and apparently this horse is special.  The owner explains to the man that this horse only responds to two voice commands:  “Praise the Lord!” to make it go and “Hallelujah!” to make it stop.

Well, the man finally buys the horse.  When he gets it home, he decides to go for a ride so he saddles the horse up, mounts and then tries to go.  The horse refuses to budge.  Then he remembers that it only responds to voice commands, so he shouts,  “Praise the Lord!”

The horse sets off at high speed and starts to head towards a high precipice.  The man riding him is frantically trying to remember the command to stop the horse.  Finally he remembers and shouts out  “Hallelujah!”

The horse screeches to a halt just on the edge of the precipice.  The man then takes off his hat, wipes his brow and says:  “Phew, Praise the Lord!”

 

busy busy busy

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.Proverbs ch.15:1

I had every intention this week of saying how husband became a christian but time has got away from me, but perhaps tomorrow i might have some more time.

Monday night at work husband suddenly felt pain starting in the small of his back and travelling upwards.  This probably had something to do with him pruning my mum's apple tree at the weekend as he said his back was aching afterwards and as he works nights in the cold and it is heavy work that probably finished him off.  Poor thing.  He is getting better now though.

Daughter has been ill for a week or more now and after a  blood test the doc has said there is something wrong with her liver and wants her to go for a scan.

Her son (youngest grandkid) has had the virus going round with high temperature.  This has started his asthma off  and has turned into a chest infection.

Daughter just phoned, granddaughter has had tummy pains for 2 days now and they are getting worse.  We have had this before and ended up down the hospital with suspected appendicitis.  They don't know what it is and suggested irritable bowel but says she is very young to have it.  She is just trying an indigestion tablet to see if it is trapped wind and then phoning back.  So it might be another night down the hospital.

The other thing that has kept me busy is the hunt on the net for presents that grandkids want but have sold out in most shops.  My head is buzzing from best deals and availabilty info.

Monday i am co-leading a 'listening' course something we probably all could do with, learning  how to listen to others and really hear what they are saying and respond appropriately.  But the lady i am leading with is coming round tonight to finalise what we need to do, so if i need to go to hospital with grandkid that won't happen.

Never mind though i am sure it will all sort itself out.

I think this might be a good place to stop until i find out what is happening, hopefully i might be able to write more tomorrow.

 

 

My faith

Most people say that you usually find Jesus through friends or family sharing their faith with you, but in my case i didn't really know any (people with a faith that is) and looking back i can see how God actively came after me, not letting go until i found him.

I didn't come from a christian family, never went to sunday school, but in my mid to late 20's i had 2 funny experiences.  They were both the same; i used to like looking from my back window at my large oak tree at the bottom of the garden and i remember saying to myself both times 'i cannot believe all of nature, as intricate as it is just happened by accident', and both times a voice in my head said, 'no, God did it'.  Each times i gave myself a shake and walked away from the window thinking it was a bit weird.

I loved reading and learning new facts - still do - and started to think about what i could read and learn next.  I know, i thought i have never looked at religion, that might be interesting.

I asked a couple of people i knew who i thought were religious what it was all about.  They both said that it was too hard and i didn't want to know.  Can't be that good then i thought and gave up that idea.

God had other thoughts though and soon there was a k nock at the door and there were two people only too pleased to talk about their faith.

For 18 months these Jehovah Witnesses faithfully came every week to talk about what they believed and it was these two who gave me my love of the bible. 

Eventually though i began to have doubts about what they were telling me and knew i had to look at what the other christians had to say.  I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong but just knew something was.

So off i went to look at the churches, Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, you name it, i read up about it or went to the church and just asked. 

But during all this time i had been reading the bible and cross checking what it said and by the time i got to the endi realised it was true, and boy was i not happy.

I had only meant to look and learn about christainity as a subject, nothing more.  One day it hit me, there is a God, Jesus did die on a cross and rose on the third day for me and if it is all true i must do something about it or i would be rejecting God.

I still didn't rush into anything but eventually settled to going to the methodist church where i worked at the play school where we hired a hall.  After a while i was invited to go to confirmation classes with a view to joining the church.  My thoughts were that i had to get off the fence and say whether i now considered myself a christian or not.  So with a big breath i said yes and was duly confirmed in the methodist church showing the world that i now considered myself a believer.

I had arrived, all i had to do was go to church, read my bible, pray and heaven here i came.

Something was missing.  I believed the stories and accepted it was all true in my head, but i didn't know the living Jesus in the personal sense.  I had never met him.

One day i found myself alone in the church and started talking to Jesus about this problem and without knowing found myself saying the prayer of faith, or sometimes known as the 'sinners prayer'.

I acknowledged the things i had done wrong, thanked him for dying for the things i had done wrong and asked him to come into my life and i would follow him. 

Over the next few months i realised that my relationship with Jesus had changed, i now knew him and had a relationship with him.

That was all over 25 years ago and wow what a 25 years.  I have lived half my life without Jesus and nearly half with and i would never go back.  It is exciting, never boring, you never know what is going to happen next and much, much more.  Obviously this is the short version of how i came to know the Lord, to say all that has happened over the years would take pages, but perhaps one day.

Jenny <><

 

 

 

 

 

The Past

We met and married a long time ago

We worked long hours and the wages were low.

No telly, no radio, no baths – things were hard.

Just a cold tap and a walk up the yard.

No holiday’s abroad; no carpets on the floor.

We had coal on the fire and we never locked doors.

 

Our children arrived – no pills in those days.

And we brought them up without state aid.

No Valium, no drugs, no L.S.D.

We cured our pains with a nice cup of tea.

If we were sick we were treated at once.

No, fill in a form and come back in a month!

 

No vandals, no muggings – we had nowt to rob,

In fact we were rich with a couple of bob.

People were happier in those far off days,

Kinder, more caring, in many ways.

Milkmen, paperboys would whistle and sing

And a night at the ‘flicks’ was a wonderful thing.

 

Oh, we had our troubles, we had our strife,

But we just had to face them – that was our life.

But now we’re alone and look back through the years,

We don’t think of troubles, bad times and tears.

We remember our blessings; our home, kids and love.

We share them together and we thank God above.

 

 

Author unknown

Christmas is coming

Panic is starting to set in!!!   Christmas is coming fast.!!!  I have done hardly anything.....Help!

Normally i spend all year buying presents as i go along.  This year hardly none.  For the first time in years we have had  no pets and so we have been on holiday.   Not once. Not twice.  But three times.

Five days at easter to Stratford Upon Avon, Two weeks in Devon and a week in Norfolk.

For one of the weeks at Devon we took daughter and two grandkids and so have explained that they must count that as part of their christmas presents, but of course we will still spend money on them....Or will i!!

Obviously we are not as flush as we would be if we had stayed at home.  but money IS NOT my problem.  The problem is i just cannot get motivated, interested, bothered.  I would be quite happy to just close my eyes and wake up in January.  I don't think the warm weather is helping either.

Now listen to this, my husband, yes my husband is saying do you think we should be going christmas shopping.   Never been heard of.  And what do i say?  No, what would we want to do that for there is plenty of time.

But there isn't! there really isn't and i have no idea what to buy and what's more i cannot get up the oomph to do anything about it.

I have never really enjoyed christmas, or at least the present buying aspect of it, due to childhood reasons.  Present buying and making a choice is always accompanied by great anxiety to get it right.  The strain of christmas takes its toll which is why i have my post christmas blues in January .. February.  My sister has got it right she is going away with all her neighbours for christmas and not coming home till after the new year.

But this isn't getting the presents bought.  Shopshere i come!

 

My favorite books

Weekend Assignment: Favorite Children's Books

Weekend Assignment: Favorite Children's Books :

This has brought back some happy memories.  Reading was my means of escape and i would read anything i could get my hands on.  But my favorites that i came back to again and again was books like Little Women, Jo's Boys, What Katy Did, and the sequels.  Heidi and Heidi's  Children.  Wuthering Heights was read five times before the age of 15 and i cried over the same pages every time.

Sadly i cannot interest my granddaughter in these ones, she says she likes books about relationships and reads Christine Wilson books, the only bits i read kids were talking  about their crappy family and how bad their life was and that was enough for me.  No adventure there.  They do like the ones i tell them though and they are always made up, i never know what i am going to say until it comes out of my mouth.

Once i was babysitting for a friend and started to tell one of my made up stories to the kids before bed, but they got agitated as i wasn't reading out of a book and all their stories came from a book.  So i told them i had a magic book, put my hand i n my pocket and took the book out, turned every page as i told the story, and they were then perfectly happy with this invisable  book.

Oh happy days!

Birds

Birds of the feathered kind.

There always seems to be some kind of 'hoohaa' going on near our house.

Take this morning, I was waiting for the bus when i saw a load of starlings settling on the roofs.  Nearby was about half a dozen seagulls and some magpies.  Before you could say robin redbreast a magpie sneaked up on the starlings, they flew off with the seagulls in hot pursuit and the sky was like Armegedon as they all chased one another round making as much noise as they could before landing back where they had started.

I have watched these birds for years and there are three culprits for starting trouble.  The bully boys of the sky.  The worst is the magpies, the second the seagulls and then the crows.

Just recently we have had a green woodpecker in the garden minding his own buisness digging up the ants eggs in the lawn.  And who should take exception to this but Maggie.  Maggie came within six inches of woodie trying to look intimidating right in front of him.  Woodie ignored Maggie for a while and then looked up and just lunged forward at Maggie who then jumped back shocked that the green upstart hadn't flown off.  Woodie then carried on with the ant raid whilst Maggie crept off trying to maintain as much dignity as possible.

The other day i was on the phone to daughter when i saw the magpies flying up and down my oak tree setting up a racket.  Something is up, i said, and sure enough a cat was up the tree after them and they were trying to scare it off.

If it's not that then it is the squirrels in the tree, in fact anything that they think shouldn't be there they try to scare off by shouting and running up to wthin inches of it before flying just out of reach.

There has been one particular squirrel and magpie that has been having a running battle over the lawn (and i mean literally running) arguing about acorns.  As quick as one burys one the other follows and digs it up.

But for sheer sneakiness and working as a team you cannot beat the crows.  When a small bird lands on the roof one crow will come and sit nearby and start to walk nearer while the other two set off flying in a circle.  One will come in from behind while the other from the side.  The one on the roof blocks the means of escape.  Trapped the bird flies off in distress, the crows meanwhile go off and take their positions ready to intimidate the next poor unsuspecting feathered innocent.

It's a whole differnt world out there in birdland.

 

Why I blog

As i have only just started blogging you would think that this would be an easy question to answer.  Oh this is in answer to Kate's (analysis of life) question that she posed after a blog about 17th century diary's.  Back to answer.

I believe in journalling but never manage to keep it up.  I tried it on the computer in 'word' but still never kept it up.  My computer was my one up in the bedroom, now i have a laptop as well and can do this in front of the tv it is so much easier.  I think it is good to look back over your thoughts and see how things have worked out. 

I had heard about blogs and a lot of the kids in the family have their own sites so when i saw the journaling site on AOL i thought i would give it a go.

First i thought it would be a good place to write my thoughts about church and try to work out how i feel. I have no problem with God but our church has been strugling for a while and so have i about my place in it.  Then i thought i could just write my thoughts down, strange as they may be, about my daily problems.  I have always written when anything has been troubling me and am a firm believer of making lists when everything seems to be crowding in (like christmas).

But i let people know that i was writing this which meant i had to be a little bit careful about what i said.  Already daughter has read it and said she finds everything so very sad. After the first entry and after reading other peoples blogs i realised that comments and the friendships that seem to have been formed through them were important.  People seem to write as much to communicate to others as they do for themselves. 

This is where i am at, at the moment.  I want to use it to work out my thoughts but also with the fact that others are reading it in mind.  I have enjoyed reading other blogs and following what has been happening in their lives and that has changed my thoughts on what i have written so far, although i tend to write at night when i am tired and cannot write much, always promising myself i will do more tomorrow.

As i get into this more my views may very well change over time, it will be interesting to see.

It certainly makes a difference writing knowing it could be read than if it was just jottings in a book, it gives me more encouragment to keep it up.

Perhaps i now need to investigate why it matters if this is read or not.... or do i really want to know?

 

Nothing Much

I've got over my having a year added to my life... (birthday) and nothing much is happening.  I have noticed how reading so many blogs has really given me eye ache and headaches - I must get eyes tested but after the dentist.  Does anyone else feel that all their money goes on maintenance.... eyes, teeth, pills.  I also find I cannot read the journals with the small print so I have to bypass them. 

Daughter has got another cold, she has only just got over the last one which ended in a chest infection, son was supposed to come and see me today cos of my birthday, but there has been no sign. 

Hey ho life goes on.

But God is good and tomorrow's Sunday so hopefully we will get to church and have a great time of fellowship with our church family.

 

And it Was So

 

 

God created the mule, and told him.  “You will be mule, working constantly from dusk to dawn, carrying heavy loads on your back.  You will eat grass and lack intelligence.  You will live for 50 years.”  The mule answered:  “To live like this for 50 years is too much.  Please, give me no more than 20.”

And it was so.

Then God created the dog, and told him.  “You will hold vigilance over the dwellings of Man, to whom you will be his greatest companion.  You will eat his table scraps and live for 25 years.”  And the dog responded:  “Lord, to live 25 years as a dog like that is too much.  Please, no more than 10 years.”

And it was so.

God then created the monkey, and told him.  “You are monkey.  You shall swing from tree to tree, acting strange.  You will be funny and you shall live for 20 years.”  And the monkey responded:  “Lord, to live 20 years as the clown of the world is too much.  Please, Lord, give me no more than 10 years.”

And it was so.

Finally, God created Man and told him.  “You are man, the only rational being that walks the earth.  You will use your intelligence to have mastery over the creatures of the world.  You will dominate the earth and live for 20 years.”  And the man responded:  “Lord, to be Man for only 20 years is too little.  Please, Lord, give me the 20 years the mule refused, the 15 years the dog refused, and the 10 years the monkey rejected.”

And it was so.

And so God made Man to live 20 years as a man, then marry and live 20 years like a mule, working and carrying heavy loads on his back.  Then, he is to have children and live 15 years as a dog, guarding his house and eating the left-overs after they empty the pantry; then, in his old age, to live 10 years as a monkey, acting strange to amuse his grandchildren.

And it was so.

 

My Day, Blah!!!

I had plans for today, big plans.  I was going to have a lazy day with my computer.  I had it all planned what I was going to write.  This was going to be my day to do with it what I wanted.

Because today is my BIRTHDAY!!!

But did that happen, oh no!

Firstly I wasn't over keen to have a birthday, as I am over the hill and fast sliding down the other side - why can't we have a birthday without the years piling on - but if I had to have one then I wanted a day for me because just lately every day off or spare moment has been used up by work or others, through no fault of their own, but used up just the same.  That's not so bad if there are breaks in between but there hasn't been.

So what happened today?

First I woke up early in a bad mood, then I had work to do on the computer which seemed to take all day, work I had hoped to finish the day before.  I was tired, miserable, I pigged out on chocolate throwing the wrappers in the direction of the bin over my shoulder as I typed.

When my husband came home from work he just looked at me and laughed.  He reckoned that if I could have a little cloud over my head with rain poring out then that is what I had.

Friends came round which was nice, but it meant that the work took twice as long as it should have done because I had to keep stopping.  By the time it was all finished I was too tired to think what I wanted to write, so this is all that I can manage.

So now my birthday is nearly finished but I am starting to feel happier, christmas is coming but I'm thinking of cancelling it.  I don't have to worry about another year being added on for another year.

I can write the things I want another day.  But suprise, surprise already all my free time is being booked up already.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME another year older and nearer my bus pass.

And now I feel thoroughly ashamed for being such a misery.

P.S.  I forgot to mention the toothache.

Why did the fireman phone the police?

He saw the fire escape.